


Mistakes and Mochi

by Keikosbadboy (Fanhag102)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Character Death, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Fic, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-20
Updated: 2016-03-11
Packaged: 2018-02-18 02:07:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 63,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2331236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fanhag102/pseuds/Keikosbadboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her death takes everyone by surprise, but the one thing Sasuke never expected was that he would be charged with looking after the husband and son she left behind. He still isn't sure he's the best man for the job... </p><p>SasuNaru kidfic, with heavy doses of angst and cuteness!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Death of a Princess

**Author's Note:**

> *Mochi - Japanese rice cake made when rice is pounded into a paste, traditionally made and eaten for New Years and the ceremony mochitsuki. The way I am using mochi in this fic is actually referring to Mochi Ice Cream, where ice cream is stuffed in a soft mochi wrap and eaten as a dessert. These are two very different things, but in this fic for simplicity I will refer to mochi ice cream as just mochi. if you are interested in finding out what mochi ice cream tastes like, head over to your neighborhood Trader Joes, they have it in the ice cream section!

The entire village mourned for her.

As soon as the news came it was like a desolate fog settled in the air, swirling around the villagers and choking the joy from them. Sasuke could feel it too, couldn't escape the cloying grief surrounding him even if he'd wanted to. It's suffocating; and the cruel, hardened part of him that would never really go away just wished they could all move on.

All Konoha shinobi were assembled and briefed as soon as the messenger arrived with the news. Normally, Sasuke suspected that the Hokage had the duty of relaying this kind of information to his or her subordinates, but it was impossible to expect him to be able to do it, given the circumstances. When Tsunade showed up instead a murmur passed through the gathered crowd. Beside him Sakura frowned, sitting up straighter in her seat. As soon as the Fifth Hokage delivered the news Sakura dissolved to disbelieving gasps, and then tears.

"I have to go see him," she'd announced, glancing Sasuke's way. He was stunned himself, silently calculating the effects of this news and trying in vain to sort through his emotions. Sasuke caught her eye and his throat closed off. He nodded, but stayed where he was. She gave him a look—it may have been disappointment, or grief—and the next moment she was gone.

Sasuke couldn't stay any longer than her, but left on his own, to be alone and process. He was no stranger to death, but picturing her face in his mind he couldn't imagine her no longer alive. It troubled him.

That was when he noticed that the air in the village had turned stale and cold, how no one spoke above a whisper and hung their heads low in their own private sadness. Word had spread quickly, and in their hushed voices they spoke of her like they had known her themselves.

"The eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan," some called her. "She was so young. What a terrible tragedy."

"No! Not the Hokage's wife! Such a sweet, quiet thing. Tell me it isn't true!" Others knew her in tandem with him, had seen her glowing and smiling by his side as he floated through the village just the way he was always meant to, Hokage robes billowing around his ankles, hair a shocking halo of light, bright as the sun.

"And our young Hokage's son," they said, for once not even noticing the last Uchiha walking just behind them. "What became of him? Tell me he isn't dead, too!"

"No, kidnapped! They attacked her and the boy on their way back here from Sunagakure! She gave her life to protect him, is what I heard."

 _So that's where he is_ , Sasuke thought. Surely he left as soon as he got the news, went to rescue their son and avenge his wife's death. Sasuke couldn't picture him as an avenger, with hate filling those blue eyes and corrupting his pure, white soul. He couldn't think about it, had to think of something else.

Except—

The only thing he could think of is so dark and twisted and wrong and awful that he couldn't even _let_ himself think it. He closed his eyes as soon as he reached his apartment, sinking to the couch and letting his hair fall into his face when he lied down, trying desperately not to think the terrible thing.

A terrible sound started, slowly echoing louder and louder as he lied there. He knew what it was, but the sound of it still sent shivers up his spine. Their howling was uncontained, raw grief in pure sound form.

He couldn't imagine how the rest of the village was handling the dueling howls, synching together in their combined sorrow. They were too much to escape; he could do nothing but lie there and try in vain to stop picturing her, stop thinking about the anguish in Kiba and Akamaru's howls, how their throats must burn with the intensity of each long, pain-filled wail.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, though he didn't remember it happening, because the next thing he knew there's frantic knocking at his door. The howling had stopped.

_Bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam bam!_

No pattern or method, just incessant knocking, and he should have known who it was before he opened the door but he didn't, and the sight of him catches Sasuke completely off guard.

It's not as though he hadn't seen Naruto—he's the Hokage, Sasuke saw him every time he was given a new mission—it was just the first time in a long time he saw Naruto as raw and broken as he was now.

His eyes were red and watery, messy streaks down his face where tears had splattered. The edges of his sleeves were dirty, his hair unruly and lackluster with no hat or forehead protector to tame it. He was wearing his old clothes, the ones he wore before he became the leader of the village, before he became a husband and father. It's almost too much to bear.

"Sasuke!" he said as soon as he opened the door. His voice cracked and broke, like he'd spent all day screaming his throat raw. He looked exhausted. Sasuke didn't know why he was there.

There's something manic in his expression, in the way he clenched his fists and jaw when he looked into Sasuke's eyes. Something deep in Sasuke that he thought he'd killed burnt with life, but he pushed it aside and let him in.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing that he managed to say, and it sounded pitiful and wrong even to his ears, and he winced in time with Naruto. They stood awkwardly in the entrance hall, because Naruto must be there for a reason, right? He wouldn't have come to Sasuke's apartment the day he found out his wife was dead for no reason.

"I—" he started, and Sasuke didn't know where to stand or look, whether he should just pretend the past few years never happened, pretend like _that night_ never—

"I have a mission for you," he finally croaked out, avoiding Sasuke's gaze. He stared towards the ground, bangs obscuring his eyes. "They won't let me go. They won't let me go get Nori back."

It took Sasuke longer than he would like to admit to piece together that Nori was the name of Naruto's…son. He'd seen the kid plenty of times, sitting in Naruto's lap, running around the village, or held in his mother's arms. Sasuke tried not to think about it, because thinking about it for too long revealed his truth—he wasn't a good person. He thought he had come to terms with it years ago but when he saw that child, blond like his father with pale Hyuuga eyes from his mother, his stomach curdled and burnt, and he couldn't think about why.

He asked himself time and time again why he stayed in the village and could never find an answer he liked. It was like he was drawn there, like gravity kept him prisoner in a place where he was faced with his mistakes every day and every day grew to hate himself a little more.

"They're making me take a break from Hokage duties. Kakashi's taking over," Naruto explained, though every word sounded like it was gasped from a parched throat.

"Why?" Sasuke found himself asking, still trying to process why Naruto was there, in his apartment, after all this time.

"I'm too _emotional_ ," he gritted his teeth, twisting his sleeve as he tightened a hand around his arm. "They think I'm gonna do something rash. If I go to get Nori back I'll—"

He hesitated, and Sasuke thought about him getting revenge against the people who murdered his wife and kidnapped his child and shivered—he couldn't imagine the rage Naruto could muster if he really meant it. Maybe the elders were right not to send him, if just to keep him safe.

"I don't know what I'd do," he grunted. "It doesn't matter. They won't let me go. They won't listen. Neji can't go either. They've got him locked up until he calms down."

"What about you?" Sasuke wasn't sure exactly what he was asking, but it came out all on it's own. He could still read Naruto, even after all this time. Sometimes he thought he could read Naruto's emotions better than he could read his own.

"I'm—" Naruto swallowed thickly and winced. Sasuke wanted to yell at him for abusing himself so badly, for stubbornly coming to see him after all this time, and for something like this. "I just want my son back. Sasuke, please."

He finally caught Sasuke's gaze and Sasuke had never seen so much fear in someone's face. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Naruto was feeling—a man who just lost his wife and is unable go to his child. Sasuke could never understand that, and he felt the _terrible thought_ trying to taunt him again.

"You're one of the only people I trust to bring him home safe. I know this is—it's a lot to ask. From you, especially, after—I know—" he trailed off, biting his lip and turning back to the ground.

"I'll go," Sasuke replied.

He had a feeling he was going to regret it, but maybe if he saved her son he wouldn't feel like he owed her so much.

* * *

It wasn't a normal mission. Sasuke wasn't even sure it was sanctioned by Kakashi, who was working as the Hokage while they forced Naruto on a break.

He was ready in minutes and arrived at the exit of the village in time with his other teammates. He'd expected the two of them to be going with him, and they didn't seem all that surprised to see him there either. No one said a word. They nodded to each other and Akamaru let out a low whine, stopping instantly when Kiba placed a hand on his fur and climbed onto him. The Inuzuka had tearstains running down his cheeks to match Naruto's and Sasuke felt like he could still hear the haunting echo of the howls.

He glanced at the last member of their team.

Shino wore no expression, face obscured by his usual glasses and hood. And yet Sasuke could feel intense anger coming off of him in waves. His skin seemed to vibrate, clacking beneath his clothes, like he was just anxious to kill whoever had dared harm his gentle, innocent teammate.

Sasuke knew they were surely worried about her son, too. The child must know them better than any other genin. They probably visited their old teammate constantly, checking in on her condition and playing with her child. Their anger towards the murderers who'd killed her could only be intensified at the knowledge that the same nin were the ones holding her one and only offspring.

He would let them take care of the boy when it came time to collect him. Surely the child would panic at the sight of Sasuke—just another stranger in his eyes.

Sasuke would take care of the ninja holding him. He wasn't worried about the mission, or the enemies they were facing. He hadn't had a real fight since the last time he and Naruto sparred—and he could barely remember how many years had passed since then.

The enemies were Shinobi from a small, very recently formed village that the reconnaissance nin claimed to be called Dorogakure, Village Hidden in Mud. It was settled in Land of Rivers, just on the border of Land of Fire. She and the child had to cross through the area on their way back from Sungakure, unaware that Dorogakure had recently been formed by a group of outlaws with no ties to any other countries or villages. They discovered her identity and the identity of her son and foolishly decided to use them as hostages to overtake Konoha. They had killed her when she tried to fight them and escape, had outnumbered her and used her son to weaken her resolve.

Only one in their party had been allowed to leave, a Hyuuga who'd been escorting them back to the village, and he'd brought the news back to Konoha, as well as informing them that the Dorogakure nin had killed every other shinobi in their group and taken the child hostage, awaiting a response from the Hokage.

Sasuke couldn't imagine the kinds of idiots in this so-called village. They'd had no idea what they were getting themselves into, and murdering _her_ was the one thing that sealed their fate. Even without his own, albeit twisted, desire to avenge her death, he was sure Kiba and Shino had plans of their own for her murderers.

He wished it weren't that way, but he was relieved that Naruto was being held back, being kept a great distance from the people who took his wife from him.

Naruto Uzumaki had forgiven a great number of unforgivable acts and irredeemable souls in his lifetime but he was human and if there was one thing Sasuke understood it was revenge and the way it ate at your mind until there was barely anything left.

He wouldn't wish it on anyone, least of all Naruto.

It didn't bother him much; he was already too far gone. He just couldn't get her face out of his mind. It was like every time he closed his eyes he saw her and it felt like the guilt would eat him alive.

" _Sasuke… Thank you," he'd said, shoulders and eyelids drooping like they'd been held up by strings. He was exhausted, but had come all the way out to ask Sasuke personally to bring his son back. After all this time, after everything Sasuke had done to drive them apart, Naruto still trusted him that much._

" _Don't mention it," he replied, and looked away because the guilt threatened to swallow him whole. After all this time…and Sasuke still wanted him._

He shook the thoughts away and leapt over a winding branch, following close behind Kiba and Shino. They were moving fast, nothing to slow them down and enough conviction between the three of them to keep them going until they reached their destination. Sasuke had no doubts that the mission would be complete by the end of the night.

The terrain changed quickly as they moved, muggier and warmer, with less hills than were around Konoha. It was unfamiliar land, though each of them had been through the area before they had never stopped long enough to have a good sense of the place. It was a disadvantage, but one they knew they would have to risk.

Naruto had given him instructions to find Dorogakure before he'd gone, and Shino and Kiba had clearly been informed as well. The instructions were vague, as the village was hidden and new, and no one truly knew where the village's nin were staying. They came upon a river, the water a murky brown, just as Naruto had described it would be.

" _I went through this place once, with Jiraiya. It's just on the outside of Land of Fire and I remember that there were a lot of rivers, all coming together from different directions. Jiraiya kept trying to explain how each one had different water because it came from different places but I wasn't paying attention. We think this Dorogakure place is right where the brown and yellow rivers meet, because that's closest to where—to—"_

" _The place they were attacked," Sasuke finished, eager to head out and begin the mission._

_Naruto nodded. Sasuke could barely believe he could keep his head up; he looked too exhausted to be capable of it. He knew that Naruto wouldn't be able to sleep until he knew the fate of his son, but he wished he could force him to get some rest anyway._

" _Once you reach the meeting of the rivers you'll have to find the rest of the way on your own."_

They followed the brown river barely an hour before it widened and the sounds of another river joining with it could be heard. They stayed in the trees because the mud was thick and would only slow them down. Akamaru paused and both he and Kiba sniffed the air. Sasuke saw the fur on Akamaru's back rise as he started to growl.

"We're close," Shino murmured. Sasuke could sense his bloodlust and felt his own adrenaline rushing, ready for a fight. He hoped it wouldn't be over too quickly.

They moved carefully and quietly, the light from the moon and stars obscured by the canopy of trees overhead. The loudest sound was the rushing of the water. Sasuke could hear plenty of bugs but none seemed to bother them; he wondered how much control Shino had over bugs that weren't his family's.

" _Where are they_?" Kiba snarled. They'd reached a wide bank and the trees tapered off as they moved towards the water. The ground shifted beneath their feet. Sasuke focused a small amount of chakra to keep himself from slipping.

It bothered him how barren it seemed, no buildings or bases anywhere, not even any bridges to cross over the water. Something flashed in his memory—Orochimaru's hideouts hadn't been easy to see from above either. _Below the mud?_

He hadn't thought he would need to, but he activated his sharingan. It was just in time to notice the pinpoints of chakra surrounding them before the mud began to move.

" _They're underground. Look out!_ " He shouted, leaping into the air as a muddy hand sprang from the ground trying to latch around his ankle. He landed on a grassy bank; Kiba and Akamaru in a small tree while Shino swarmed bugs around his feet to keep the mud away. It seemed like the mud itself moved, took shape and separated from the pits of mud all around them. The enemy ninja rose from the ground and other emerged dripping and deformed from the water.

 _They're like Suigetsu,_ Sasuke realized as the shinobi closest to him formed an arm out of mud where none had been before. Their clothing and skin was mud-covered, even the ones who had come from the river. There were about twenty that had revealed themselves and he could sense more underground—he had been right about a hidden base—they wore no headbands or village markers that he could see, but it had to be them.

"You're the Dorogakure nin?" he asked. Akamaru growled and barked.

"So the Konoha's Hokage has sent _you_ to negotiate," one of the mud-covered ninja spoke up. He looked no different than all the others, and was standing a bit back, closer to the water.

"The famous, last Uchiha," he continued, smirking. Sasuke glared.

"There will be no negotiations. Our mission is simple: retrieve the Hokage's son at any cost. Get rid of any who might be in the way." Akamaru barked twice.

"Just here for the boy? You aren't here to disband Dorogakure?" he was still smirking, and it was starting to really piss Sasuke off. He could sense the tingling of electricity underneath his skin, feel his chakra building. "Does Konoha's leader only care about himself, not the good of the people?"

"Land of Fire and Land of Rivers will deal with you later. It isn't our concern," Shino replied, and Sasuke glanced his way to find that he had already made his move. Good, then Sasuke would stop waiting around too.

Everything happened at once: three of the Mud nin dropped to the ground screaming, Akamaru leapt forward with Kiba just behind him and locked his jaws on one of their necks. Sasuke saw an opportunity and moved swiftly to the one who had been talking. He had a hand around the man's throat before he could even stop smirking.

"Where is the boy?" he asked, squeezing tight as the sounds of screams and squishing mud filled his ears. The shinobi started to melt back into mud, to the ground, but Sasuke activated amaterasu in time to stop him before he went down all the way. He screamed as the black flames licked his body. Another enemy tried to attack him and Sasuke pushed the ninja into him, catching him on fire as well.

Just before he fell to the ground he glanced back towards the largest part of the river and Sasuke followed his gaze. He squinted in the darkness and at a distance saw a structure in the water—a dam, naturally made with sticks and logs. It must have been blocking the entrance to their underground building. He turned to tell Shino but found the bug-nin otherwise engaged. There were two Mud nin writhing on the ground, swarmed by bugs. Sasuke had never seen Shino so brutal.

" _Did_ you _kill her_?" Kiba screamed, clawing at a man with an already bloodied face as his dog ripped into a man lying on the ground.

Sasuke was beginning to think there would be nothing left of Dorgakure once they were finished with it. It was better that way—her murderers would be wiped off the planet and Naruto would never need to face it himself. He couldn't imagine what might have happened if Neji was there with them.

"Kiba, the entrance—" he tried to say, but it seemed the dog nin couldn't hear him, so caught up in his own fight. Sasuke deflected an attack aimed at him with his katana, sheathing it without hesitation and glancing from his companions to the dam where surely Naruto's son was being held. He started towards it himself, allowing Shino and Kiba their bloody revenge, then paused.

He was on the mission for Naruto, but he was on it for himself too, to make himself feel even with _her_ , less guilty, somehow. He didn't know if he could face rescuing her son. He had expected Shino or Kiba to take care of that as he bloodied his own hands in the name of making things right for her. Still, he couldn't leave the child…

He started towards the dam slowly, keeping watch for any other enemies, and then suddenly a huge wave of chakra came rushing over him—from the direction of the dam.

He heard a scream, a child's scream, and his body moved on it's own, racing to the widest part of the river and over the dam, searching frantically to find the entrance. He blasted apart the dam with a fireball and found a hidden door leading down, underneath the water. His heart was pounding in his ears; if something happened to the child, if Sasuke was too late to save him, if somehow he didn't—

" _Nori is all I have now. Please, Sasuke, I—I'm begging! Bring him back to me no matter what!"_

Sasuke raced through the hallways, using the terrible power of the chakra as a guide until he could hear a commotion at the end of a hallway. The walls were shattered and the ceilings were rattling with the power coming from the room. A few of the Dorogakure nin were fleeing from something and Sasuke felt his mouth going dry as he raced closer, turning a corner into a room to see what was responsible for the immense chakra. It wasn't what he had expected.

Sasuke had seen Nori plenty of times. The first time he saw him was in Naruto's office, asleep in his mother's arms. He was only a week old, and when Sasuke entered the room to deliver a report Naruto had been smiling the softest, happiest smile Sasuke had ever seen while staring at the bundle in his wife's arms. He was shocked, even though he knew he shouldn't have been. Everyone had been waiting for Hinata to pop and the news had travelled fast when she had finally given birth a week before. But, hearing about Naruto's child and seeing him were two very different things. Naruto had turned to him with bright, excited eyes, like he couldn't wait to show Sasuke his baby and Sasuke had quickly nodded, bowed and left with the excuse that he would return later, pretending as he left that he couldn't see the hurt in his Hokage's eyes.

Once, he had promised to spend time with Sakura, only to show up at her house to find her playing with the child on the floor. She smiled and said that Naruto and Hinata left him with her so they could have a night off, and she was glad Sasuke was there so he could help her watch him. One look at the tiny boy with Naruto's bright blond hair and he had to leave, made excuses that he knew Sakura could see through, went home and drank until he couldn't think about the past anymore.

Sasuke ran into mother and child in the village time and again, on the street and in the grocery store. She always smiled kindly and said hello, instructing the child to do the same once he was old enough. Every time Sasuke looked at him he hid himself behind his mother's legs and murmured hello in a tiny, nervous voice. Sasuke's chest ached every single time it happened, until he took to going grocery shopping late at night so they surely wouldn't be there.

The child spent time in Naruto office often, with and without his mother. He hid behind his father instead of mother when Sasuke appeared, peering up at him with wide, pale eyes. Seeing them together was the worst.

He may have inherited his mother's kekkei genkai but the shape of his eyes was just the same as Naruto. His hair was longer, but spiked the same way Naruto's did, and was the same shade of blond. He was timid, at least whenever Sasuke saw him, with a sweet disposition and a calm demeanor. That was the child Sasuke remembered.

This was not that child.

The child before him was more monster than boy, with chakra swirling about him like whips, crashing into the walls and ceilings and taking chunks out everywhere they touched. The boy's hair no longer drooped but stood upright with the force of the power swirling around him. His byakugan wasn't activated but he was on all fours in the center of the room, mouth open and fangs bared. One of the whips of chakra surged red and bubbly, and he understood what was happening in an instant.

All thoughts of Naruto and Hinata flew from his mind—Nori was the one who was in danger. The sweet boy he knew before had been replaced by an out of control beast, and if he didn't stop it soon he would be hurt by his own power. He could already see the strain it was putting on his body—he would probably sleep for days once it was over. Sasuke didn't know how or why, but somehow the child had access to all nine Tailed Beasts, and they were taking over just like the fox used to take Naruto.

He dodged a swirling tail and activated his sharingan. It didn't take much to get Nori to look into his eyes, and then suddenly he found himself inside the child's mind, just like he'd done with Naruto all those years ago.

"We don't need to _all_ come out to protect him! Someone pull back, _it's too much_."

"What if they try to hurt him again? He can control us!"

"I'll _kill_ whoever touches Naruto's son! _Rip_ 'em apart!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, he can handle it!"

Sasuke found himself in the center of a room filled with the beasts. They were all screaming at each other, arguing and pushing and trying to be heard. They were so consumed with it they didn't even notice him there.

"He was injured! This wouldn't have happened if we'd come out sooner!"

"It's just a scratch, Matatabi. He's fine!"

Sasuke heard a quiet sobbing and looked down, heart catching in his chest to see Nori curled up into a ball at the center of the behemoth monsters, whimpering in fear as they argued over him.

" _Shut it!"_ he shouted, and one by one the beasts stopped arguing, staring at him as he glared at each of them.

"You're scaring him," he added, bending down to gently place a hand on the child's back. He flinched at first, then slowly turned around sniffing with tears in his eyes. He started crying harder when he saw Sasuke and at first Sasuke panicked, thinking surely the child grew even more frightened with this strangers appearance, but the next moment he threw his tiny arms around Sasuke's shoulders and hugged him close, tucking his face into the crook of Sasuke's neck.

A million emotions fluttered through Sasuke all at once, but he ignored them for a moment and wrapped his arms around Nori's back, picking him up and holding him as he glared at the fox.

"He's way too young to be able to control all of you at once. What were you thinking?"

All nine beasts started talking at once, but the fox quickly cut them off.

"Quiet!" he shouted. They died down and he stared at Sasuke appraisingly. Then suddenly he grinned. "I remember you, the Uchiha with the mean eyes! It's the first time we were called upon to protect him, so we didn't know what to expect. He was in danger and we reacted without thinking. It turned out alright, you came to get him."

"You're lucky it was me and not someone else!"

"Hehehe, I bet you're right. Anyway, get him home safe to Naruto. He's been through a lot, poor kid. Hmmm, but you and Naruto know something about losing your parents, don't you? You can both help him get past it."

Sasuke wanted to correct him, to explain that it wasn't his place to help her son with anything, that he had no place intruding on Naruto's life even if she was gone, but instead he just nodded and glanced down at the child in his arms.

Nori seemed to have fallen asleep and Sasuke closed his eyes. When he opened them again he was back in the base and Nori was lying asleep on the ground. Everything was quiet, though the damage to the room, and the base, was extensive.

As Sasuke carefully picked Nori up he noticed a small slice on the side of the child's neck; it wasn't even bleeding. He glanced around the room at the damage—the huge chunks of the walls and ceiling that had been torn out by the tails and the huge, surging chakra, and shook his head. _All this for a scratch?_ Only Naruto's son would be able to make such a mess…

When he reached the entrance and climbed back to the muddy shore of the river he knew the fight was over. There wasn't a sound but the rushing water and he could see Shino, Kiba and Akamaru on the edge of the trees on the far side of the bank, illuminated by the faint pink glow of the rising sun.

He walked over to them quickly, careful not to jostle Nori too much, though he knew the kid would be out for at least several more hours. Kiba was leaning on Akamaru and looked injured, but alive. Shino glanced at him as he approached; he didn't have a scratch on him.

"Nori isn't hurt, right?" Kiba asked, a worried edge to his voice. "I felt that huge chakra a while ago. I'd never felt something like that before. It was out of control."

"Nori is fine. Just a scratch. Don't worry about the chakra, I took care of it."

"We should head back," Shino nodded. He sounded almost tired, but maybe he now that he had gotten his revenge he allowed himself to feel his grief.

"Are they all gone?" Sasuke asked, looking back to the mud, spotting shapes and lumps of bodies scattered across the riverbank. He couldn't say he was surprised that Shino and Kiba killed them all, but he pitied them at the same time. It didn't matter if the person was your enemy, taking a life was still taking a life.

"We're taking one back with us," Shino answered, moving to the side to reveal a body-shaped mass of bugs, wiggling and struggling and trapped inside a crawling prison.

"For Neji," Kiba grunted, carefully mounting Akamaru and heading back in the direction of the village. The light had finally reached the tops of the trees and Sasuke saw the mud and water splashed with red blood. Dorogakure and the men who killed her were gone.

* * *

It should have taken them about a day to get back, with Kiba injured, Shino's prisoner, and Sasuke carrying a sleeping Nori, but Naruto met them halfway.

Sasuke thought several times about letting Shino or Kiba carry Nori; they knew him better than he did, after all, but every time he considered asking one of them it didn't seem like the right time. Not to mention Nori was comfortable and warm in his arms, and he didn't want to disturb him. He just tried to ignore the guilt that wracked him as he held her child, to keep from thinking the terrible thing, and told himself that it was perfectly okay for his chest to feel warm and fuzzy with a child in his arms—even if he'd never experienced the sensation before.

Regardless, that was how Naruto found them. Sasuke spotted him a ways up the road, and as soon as he saw Naruto, Naruto saw them.

" _Nori!"_ he shouted, picking up speed, running at them as fast as he could so he could reach his son and make sure he was okay. Naruto had just about reached them, panting and out of breath, when Sasuke said calmly,

"He's fine, Naruto. He's okay."

Naruto skidded to a halt just in front of Sasuke, face as devastated and messy as he'd last seen—if not worse. And yet the moment he saw his son and Sasuke handed him over, careful not to wake him, he smiled as tears bubbled in his eyes again. He held his son close to him, folding to the ground and stroking the blond hair so much like his own. Sasuke was so absorbed in Naruto's suffering that he didn't even notice Neji appearing just behind him, casting a sad glance at the last trace of Hinata he'd ever get before turning to Shino and taking their captive away, back on to the village.

"He—" Sasuke started, unsure whether he should interrupt Naruto's reunion with his son after losing his wife. "He might sleep for a while, but he should be okay. Have Sakura or Tsunade look at him when you get back to the village."

He paused, hesitating, unable to look at Naruto and unable to look away. Finally he sighed and turned towards the road to the village.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, and he turned around in a flash. Naruto's bright blue eyes poured into him, tore him up right to his very soul. "Thank you—thank you for bringing him back safe."

Sasuke winced and hoped Naruto wouldn't see. He closed his eyes and turned away.

 _Don't thank me,_ he thought desperately, hating himself for thinking the terrible thought and for thinking that rescuing her son would absolve him of any guilt when the only thing he could think since the moment he knew about her death was,

_Maybe if she's gone, he can be mine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh, the smell of new fic in the air!
> 
> Welcome to Mistakes and Mochi, my first SasuNaru kidfic! I haven't written a real multi-chapter in a while, so bear with me guys. I'm trying not to post chapters without already having written at least part of the next chapter, so hopefully the break between chapters won't be too overwhelming. Dunno how long this is gonna be yet, but it's certainly going to be slow-build angst here for a while.
> 
> If you're wondering why Neji is alive, here's my answer:
> 
> A) This is probably my last chance to write a fic with him in it, and since I'm killing off Hinata I feel like I should probably have at least one Hyuuga live on. B) I needed a rival for Sasuke, and while Sai and Gaara usually work pretty nicely, because of the plot here, Neji is the perrrfect rival not only for Naruto's attention but for Nori's as well. C) Because I'm sad Neji is gone and gonna stay in denial about it and D) Because I wanted to.
> 
> Anyway, with that said, let me know what you guys think! -Keikosbadboy


	2. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enough flashbacks to rival Kishimoto.

It was sunny the day of the wedding, but started raining lightly in the middle of the ceremony. Just a light drizzle, not even enough to ruin the happy mood of the occasion. Naruto seemed as if he didn't even notice it as drops splashed into his hair and rolled down her blushing cheeks. No one bothered to move under a canopy to avoid it and as soon as the vows were made it stopped as suddenly as it started.

All this Sasuke only knew from the report Sakura had insisted on giving him the next day, detailing every little thing about the ceremony, down to the clothes everyone was wearing and the look on Naruto's face when he first saw her in her gorgeous, elegant kimono.

Sasuke hadn't attending the wedding.

Looking back, that was probably when things really began to go bad.

 _Things were already sour between them, had been ever since_ that night _, but they were at least still speaking, still trying to pretend like nothing happened and everything was normal. Naruto had been dating Hinata for almost half a year when he came by Sasuke's apartment and nervously asked him if he wanted to go by Ichiraku for some dinner. It wasn't a strange request; they ate together often, even with the strangeness that hung over both of them since that night. Naruto's obvious nervousness made Sasuke anxious himself, worried that maybe Naruto was going to confront him, that they were going to have to really talk about what had happened and Sasuke knew he had no idea what he was going to say. He agreed anyway, ignoring how his heart felt like it was in his throat the entire walk to the ramen bar._

_They were both quieter than normal—even Naruto. He spent the whole time walking with his hands in his pockets, casting unsubtle glances Sasuke's way every few seconds. Whenever Sasuke tried to say something it died on his tongue and they ended up ordering their food in the same reserved tones. Teuchi even stared at them oddly as he took their orders, like he could tell something was off between them._

_Sasuke was halfway through his first bowl and Naruto was just starting his second when he finally blurted out,_

" _I'm getting married next month!"_

_Sasuke had blinked slowly, twice, carefully setting his chopsticks down and pushing the empty ramen bowl away before replying evenly,_

" _Congratulations."_

" _Uh," Naruto swallowed, staring down into his bowl, hands on his thighs, "Um, thanks? It's—" A soft smile fell to his face and Sasuke clenched his fists beneath the counter. "It's pretty great!"_

_He wanted to run, to get away from Naruto as soon as possible before Naruto could notice that something was wrong. Instead he just sat there silently until he couldn't any longer. He was lucky he had as much practice hiding his emotions as he did—it came in handy._

" _So?" he asked, smirking. "Brought me to Ichiraku just to tell me that? You were acting so nervous I thought it was something important."_

_Naruto huffed out a laugh, rubbing the back of his head._

" _Well—I uh, I wanted to ask you something, too." He glanced quickly at Sasuke and then away again. He was still nervous, fiddling anxiously with the fabric of his pants, hesitating to ask what he wanted to._

" _What did you want to ask?" Sasuke finally prompted, hoping he could end their conversation and give some excuse to get home as soon as possible. He didn't know how much longer he could be around Naruto now. It hurt too much to bear._

_Naruto sent another quick glance his way and then inhaled deeply, like he was gathering courage._

" _Will you be my best man?"_

_Sasuke hadn't expected that, though he didn't know why. He was Naruto's best friend; Naruto was his. Naruto didn't know how he felt, didn't realize how that night, that stupid fucking disaster of a night, had changed their relationship. Of course Naruto would want him by his side on his wedding day._

_His stomach felt like lead. He knew he could do it—could stand by Naruto's side and watch the man he loved marry someone else—he just didn't want to._

" _You know," Naruto added, staring down at his lap, even more nervous than before since Sasuke had yet to reply. "Since my mom and dad are—they can't be there. And Pervy Sage is, um… Of course Sakura is gonna be there! And Kakashi and Iruka-sensei, and everybody. I was just hoping maybe you would—"_

" _You said next month?" Sasuke cut him off, refusing to look into the blond's eyes._

" _Yeah?"_

" _I have a mission," he lied, and didn't even need to look over to know how Naruto's shoulders drooped and his face fell in disappointment._

" _Oh," he said. "Right."_

_That was the last night things were anywhere close to normal between them. After rejecting Naruto's offer of best man they stopped eating together, spending time together, and eventually stopped talking all together unless they were with others. A few people noticed it, but no one said anything, at least not to Sasuke. Sakura looked as if she wanted to, plenty of times, but she never did, and Sasuke was glad. He didn't know how he would explain it to her if she ever did._

_Sasuke used his fake excuse as a reason to take an actual mission around the time of the wedding. Fortunately there were plenty, as many of the shinobi in the village wanted to have the time off to attend the ceremony—unfortunately, the mission Tsunade ended up giving him was that of a village guard, which meant he remained in Konoha instead of being away like he'd wanted. He was sure she'd done it on purpose._

_He'd been shielding his eyes from the sun when the first splattered drops of rain fell into his hair. He smiled to himself sardonically, thinking that rain while the sun was shining was just the kind of weather to have the day a fox got married.***_

The weather the day of her funeral was the opposite, and this time Sasuke didn't avoid the ceremony.

It had been cloudy all day, with patches of intense rain and a fog that wouldn't lift. He'd gotten dressed in black clothing that matched what every other villager wore as they filed towards the graveyard. Sakura found him in the crowd easily, falling in step beside him. She said nothing, just stared at the ground in front of her as they walked. Ino joined them after a ways and held Sakura's hand until they reached the graves.

He was waiting there, dressed in black with no Hokage robes thrown across his shoulders. He held Nori's hand as the child stood beside him—father and son wore matching expressions of grief as they stared towards the ground.

To his left stood Kakashi and Tsunade. Neither wore the Hokage robes either.

On his right, Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino had their places. They looked worse than Sasuke had seen them before, like the truth of it had finally settled in their minds and was trying to drag them into the ground themselves. Kurenai was beside them with her son, crying silently as she watched the crowds gather. He felt a twang of pity for her—he knew she thought of Hinata as her own daughter. He caught her glance down the row of people at Nori and then back at her own son, shaking her head sadly. Suddenly Sasuke felt that the Dorogakure ninja who'd killed her didn't get nearly what they deserved.

The ceremony began and the crowd parted to leave a wide path for the members of the Hyuuga family carrying her casket to move through. As soon as they came into view the rain stopped.

Hiashi held up the front left with Neji on the opposite side. Sasuke was surprised to see Hanabi holding up the back end with help from the guard who had returned after the attack with her body and the news of her fate. He hadn't thought Hiashi would allow his younger daughter to carry so much weight, but from the little he knew of Hanabi Hyuuga, she seemed as strong-willed as her father and cousin.

Sasuke was sure Naruto would be with them if not for the customs of the Hyuuga clan. Instead he stood silently with his son and watched the procession approach.

The sun shone throughout the entire ceremony and Sasuke stood silently by Sakura and Ino until it was finished and they moved off to find their other friends.

"And to offer our condolences," Sakura said, obviously hinting at what she thought Sasuke should do himself. He didn't bother replying. His condolences meant nothing. Nothing he said would change how he felt about Naruto.

His eyes searched the crowd until he found him, and was surprised to find him in conversation with Gaara, Temari, and Shikamaru. They must have come all the way from Sand just for the funeral. He didn't know why he was surprised—after all, they had been on their way back from Sand when they were attacked. Gaara must feel some kind of guilt, however baseless it may be. He could just barely hear their conversation from where he was standing, hiding behind a group of villagers silently praying.

"Are you and Temari only here for a visit?" Naruto asked Shikamaru.

"No, I think we're going to stay for a while."

"I said I didn't want another Leaf baby," Temari added, smiling down at the small bump of her belly, "but Asume missed it here and Shishika only got to see her Aunt Ino a few times a year. They'll be happier settled down for a while, at least until this one is old enough to travel. It's been hard to pick a place to stay. Sand and Leaf both want us. When Gaara said he was coming we thought we would tag along. I'm sorry it's because of such circumstances. How is Nori?"

Naruto face darkened and he looked towards the ground.

"He's… he's quiet. He's depressed and I feel like I can't do anything to help him."

"He'll be okay, Naruto," Gaara muttered, placing a hand gently on Naruto's shoulder. "He's strong. You just have to be there for him. Do you know when they'll let you go back to your Hokage duties?"

"No. Kakashi hasn't said. I know I need to spend time with Nori, but I want to get back to work. I feel helpless not doing anything."

"I'll speak with Kakashi and the elders about it," Gaara promised.

Sasuke needed to speak to Kakashi as well, and searched the crowd until he found him, standing where Sasuke should have expected him to be, in front of the stone with the names of his former teammates on it. He approached cautiously, unsure how Kakashi would react to him—they hadn't been on the best of terms ever since Sasuke returned to the village. Kakashi was one of the few people who still didn't seem to trust him.

"Can I help you, Sasuke?" his old teacher asked, hands sliding into his pockets. His gaze didn't leave the stone. Sasuke stood beside him, staring forward as he answered.

"What happened to the captive Shino brought back?"

"He's gone," was the only answer Kakashi provided.

"Did Naruto…?"

"No. He didn't know he was ever in the village. The man gave us some information and then Neji took care of him."

Sasuke let out a shallow sigh. Kakashi looked at him briefly before looking away again.

"You know why we didn't let Naruto go retrieve Nori, don't you, Sasuke?"

He nodded. The reasons they'd given Naruto weren't valid enough to be real. He wasn't "too emotional" and the Dorogakure nin had no allies to offend if the Hokage attacked them, those were just excuses to keep Naruto in the village.

He thought about Shino and Kiba, the hollow looks on their faces and the way they'd reacted on the mission. He thought about Neji and how they'd had to restrain him, and he thought about himself, what revenge and murder did to _him_. They'd made the right choice keeping Naruto away, though it must have been difficult to accomplish.

"What kind of information did the Mud nin give?"

Kakashi paused, deciding whether he would answer or not. Eventually he began,

"They were attacked as soon as they entered the territory. They were being watched for a ways before they reached it but none of their party noticed until it was too late.

"They captured Nori first, and getting Hinata to cooperate after that was easy. Then they started killing the rest of their party, all while Nori and Hinata watched. Finally Hinata couldn't stand it anymore and she fought back, trying to free her son so that they could flee. They outnumbered her and wore her down, finally using her son against her. Apparently she took a countless number of them with her, but in the end she was choked to death by some twisted water jutsu."

"The boy," Sasuke didn't want to ask, "he—"

"He saw the whole thing," Kakashi replied quietly. Sasuke shut his eyes. Memories he hadn't thought about for years came flooding back—his mother and father's blood pooling on the floor, their bodies falling as his brother stood over them, red eyes spinning. No child deserved those kinds of memories haunting them for the rest of their life. He suddenly wanted to do something for the child, but couldn't even begin to think of what he might be able to do.

He changed the subject instead.

"Is there anything left of Dorogakure?"

"We don't believe so. If there was, we would send you back."

Sasuke had imagined that was the case. It was just the kind of mission that was perfect for him. The village knew how powerful he was, and anytime they wanted something done fast and quiet they sent him. They weren't secret, dark missions—with Naruto in charge there was nothing like that anymore. No Root or bloody Anbu wars to be fought—but shinobi were shinobi and when situations like that of Dorogakure came along, Sasuke was perfect for the job.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked pleasantly, as the rain slowly started up again. His dark eyes were trained on Sasuke, calculating in a way that made Sasuke's defenses rise.

"Hn?"

"You aren't planning on involving yourself in Naruto's life again, are you?"

So that was it. He should have known.

Sasuke glared and spun around to leave.

"That's none of your business," he spat, and left his old teacher with his dead friends to keep him company.

* * *

When Sasuke returned home, he drank.

He didn't drink often—it was an unhealthy, wasteful habit. He never purchased alcohol, but it was given so often as a gift he always had a bottle or two in his cabinet if he so desired. He hoped maybe it would help him get to sleep; he never slept well on rainy nights.

It had been rainy _that night_ , too—and they had been drinking.

" _Haaaaaa hahahaha! Don't look so sour about it, teme! I'm sure Granny wasn't serious about the D-rank missions, and that old lady will forgive you for scaring her someday, I'm sure."_

" _Hn, if you're just here to laugh and make stupid joke then get out of my house, dobe."_

_They'd already been out drinking after the mission—Tsunade decided to take Naruto to some bars to congratulate him on starting his Hokage training. It had been his last mission before training and as a joke she'd made he and Sasuke help some old lady with her daily chores. They'd almost failed because they started arguing and when she found out she threatened to have Sasuke suspended to D-rank missions "if he can't even manage one mission without a fight breaking out."_

_Sakura and Kakashi had joined them at the bar, they'd eaten and drank, Naruto growing increasingly loud and boisterous as Tsunade kept making him do him more and more sake bombs. By the time the others decided to go home even Sasuke felt a little tipsy. That was probably why he agreed to let Naruto come back to his place and keep drinking._

" _I'm not tired at all! Come on, Sasuke, we're finally adults and all you want to do is read all day and water your plants!"_

_Sasuke had glared at him but consented and allowed the loud blond willingly into his apartment. It wasn't even a good idea on a normal day, when no alcohol had been consumed, because whenever he and Naruto spent too much time together they ended up fighting and causing some kind of property destruction. Yet somehow Sasuke didn't want the night to end._

" _Oi, you think we'll ever be like Gai and Kakashi-sensei?"_

_Sasuke gave him an alarmed look from across his living room coffee table. They were both sitting on the floor with open bottles in front of them. It felt warm in his house, though it was probably just from all the drinking. There was a blush on Naruto's cheeks that betrayed his own inebriation._

_The alcohol must have been affecting Sasuke more than he thought, because instead of refusing to dignify such a ridiculous question with an answered, he replied,_

" _I'm not nearly as pathetic as Kakashi and you're only about half as obnoxious as Gai. There's no way we'd ever be that ridiculous."_

_Naruto's face showed amusement, annoyance, and then thoughtfulness._

" _I mean, do you think we'll get tired of beating the crap out of each other all the time and start making up other competitions? We could try rock, paper, scissors?"_

" _That's a dumb contest, there's no skill."_

" _That sounds like something someone scared of losing would say!"_

" _No way, dead last. I'm not gonna fall for that."_

" _Whatever, spoil sport," Naruto muttered, pouting at his glass. He lifted it to his mouth, licking the perspiration around the neck of the bottle before throwing his head back to take a huge gulp. He set the glass back down and looked up at Sasuke from under his eyelashes. When he noticed Sasuke staring at him he glanced away, looking towards his lap._

_Sasuke blinked and frowned at himself. He didn't know why he had been staring so intently at Naruto; it wasn't as if they didn't spent time together. It had been a few years since they were reunited (or, as Naruto called it, "punched Sasuke hard enough that he finally got some sense") (which was not, in Sasuke's memory, exactly what happened, but either way he had agreed to return to the village, so it didn't make much difference in the end) and they spent most of that time together. It was like Naruto was trying to make up for all the time they'd been apart—not to mention Naruto was one of the very few people Sasuke could stand to be around at first. He still had some trouble dealing with a few of his classmates and fellow comrades, but he was much more reasonable than when he'd first returned._

_He looked up again to find Naruto telling him some dumb joke, and he completely forgot about the moment before, taking a sip of his own drink as he listened to Naruto try and come up with more competitions they could have instead of just rolling around on the ground wrestling or sparring until neither could move._

" _You know, 'cuz I'm not gonna have as much time for that stuff. When I'm Hokage."_

" _Hn. Don't worry about it. I'll still find time to kick your ass if you want."_

_Naruto grinned, but then his expression fell._

" _What?" Sasuke found himself asking._

" _Granny just said it takes a lot of time. And she always seems like she's working. I don't want to be so busy I won't see anyone. I wonder how my dad did it…"_

_Sasuke hesitated, awkwardly unsure in the suddenly heavy room. He sighed and Naruto looked up at him curiously._

" _The fourth was much cooler than you are," he said flatly. "You shouldn't compare yourself to him."_

" _Asshole!" Naruto shouted, tossing a pillow from the couch at Sasuke's head. He dodged it easily and smirked Naruto's way. He was glad to find that it had eased at least some of Naruto's tension._

_The night pressed on, later and later. It was surely nearing morning and Sasuke should have been tired, but he wasn't. The night outside was wet and cool, but inside his apartment was warm and dry. He imagined Naruto would want to stay the night, and for once Sasuke was inclined to let him._

_They bickered about the mission, the ninja world, their friends. Naruto laughed and Sasuke was drunk enough that he might have smiled once or twice. Once he realized his motor skills were affected he decided to stop, but Naruto continued drinking._

_He brought another bottle up for a long sip, then groaned to find it empty. He shakily stood from the floor, heading to the kitchen._

" _Time for another beeeer!" he crowed, and for some reason Sasuke found himself standing to follow the blond._

" _You're going to get alcohol poisoning," Sasuke told him, leaning against his kitchen counter as Naruto opened the fridge door._

" _I'm just training," Naruto replied, happily pulling out a cold bottle and closing the door. "According to Granny Tsunade, being Hokage means a loooot of drinking."_

_Sasuke snorted and rolled his eyes. He watched as Naruto stuck his tongue out trying to get the bottle open._

" _You're drunk off your ass," he commented, and Naruto made a face at him._

" _Am not! And you're one to talk, all pink and happy. I've never heard you say so much, Sasuke-_ chan _."_

" _Idiot!" Sasuke spat back, still amused to watch Naruto futilely trying to open the bottle with his hands. "Give that here before you hurt yourself."_

_Naruto sheepishly handed the bottle over and Sasuke searched through a drawer for the bottle opener they'd been using earlier._

" _Hey… Sasuke?" Naruto asked, leaning beside him against the counter. His voice had changed—was suddenly serious like it had been earlier. Sasuke glanced at him to find him scowling. He opened another drawer looking for the bottle opener as he asked,_

" _What?"_

" _I'm serious, you know. I'm really going to be Hokage. What if I hate it? What if I fuck it up? It's finally happening and I'm—"_

_He stopped, voice catching in his throat. Sasuke gave up and set the bottle on the countertop beside him. He folded his arms and tried to focus on what Naruto was saying and not the heat of his body so close to Sasuke's. The alcohol was making his brain work harder than normal, making him sensitive to strange things. He shook his head._

" _Stop worrying about it. You aren't even Hokage yet. Isn't this what you've been wanting your whole life?"_

" _Of course! I just—I don't know—what if I'm not good at it? Do you think I'll be good? I mean really, Sasuke."_

_Sasuke looked at him, stared into Naruto's anxious blue eyes. His face was still flushed, and for some reason Sasuke found himself glancing at his lips, moist and parted, before looking back into those eyes._

" _I thought we decided this a long time ago, Naruto. You're the_ only person _I trust to be Hokage. The only reason I'm here is because you're going to be Hokage."_

_He saw Naruto swallow, nod his head, and then look up at him from underneath his eyelashes again. Somehow it made the blush on his face more prominent and Sasuke blinked, annoyed that he let himself get so drunk._

" _I'm really going to be Hokage, aren't I?" he asked, voice soft, like he was in awe of the whole idea._

" _Yeah, and then maybe you can finally shut up about it," Sasuke replied with a smirk._

_Naruto grinned, staring at Sasuke intently._

" _I'll be Hokage… and you'll be by my side, right? Just in case I do fuck it up?"_

" _Where else would I be?" Sasuke answered, shaking his head. He sighed and opened the drawer again to try and find the bottle opener, though in his opinion Naruto didn't need any more to drink._

" _Sasuke…" he heard, soft and close to his ear. He looked up to tell Naruto that he should stop being so worried about Hokage and just forget about it, but he never got a chance._

_Naruto's lips were pressed over his, warm, soft, and wet. Naruto's eyelashes were long and blond over his closed eyes as he kissed Sasuke gently, one hand coming up to hold onto Sasuke's arm. He smelled like beer and ramen, and his body felt like the sun, warm and pressing against Sasuke's, leaning him into the counter._

_Sasuke's body reacted on instinct, sending a jolt of chakra-made electricity through his skin, shocking everywhere Naruto was touching._

_The blond jumped back with a sound of surprise. He looked up to find Sasuke staring at him with wide, alarmed eyes._

_Naruto's expression darkened; he grew frightened and shocked at his own actions. He slowly brought a hand up to cover his mouth, staring around Sasuke's kitchen like he just realized where he was. Then his gaze fell on Sasuke again—the Uchiha hadn't moved._

" _You—" Sasuke rasped, touching a fingertip to his lips, still warm and parted from the surprise kiss. His head felt fuzzy, too warm, too bright._

" _I—I'm sorry, Sasuke I—" he stuttered, face even redder than before. He started backing away, shaking his head, eyes wide with panic._

" _Get out," Sasuke growled, feeling panic welling up inside him as well. He couldn't look at Naruto's face anymore. He glared angry red eyes at him and pointed towards the door._

" _Sasuke—"_

" _Get out!" Sasuke repeated, heart in his throat, stomach full of lead. His head was buzzing, too much alcohol, too many confusing words and actions, he couldn't process, couldn't explain what just happened. He just knew he couldn't be around Naruto, not until he figured out why he was reacting this way._

" _I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, fear and regret lacing his words, and with that he practically ran from Sasuke's apartment, throwing the front door open and slamming it closed behind him._

Sasuke stood in his kitchen leaning against the same counter he'd been leaning against that night. He stared down at the bottle opener and took a sip of beer.

He'd lost track of the number of times he'd though about that night. It had been at least four years since then and he still obsessed over it, over how badly he'd ruined everything with just one action and a few stupid words.

His body had reacted automatically with the lightning—that wasn't his fault. He still could have salvaged it, could have said something to change it. Instead he'd just yelled at Naruto to leave, to get out. He'd made a mistake.

He made a drunken, stupid, impulsive mistake and he regretted it every day.

He'd met up with Naruto the next day; he came to Sasuke grinning and apologetic.

" _I was so drunk last night, Sasuke! It was an accident, I swear! Tell me you aren't still mad!"_

Sasuke could do nothing but roll his eyes, bury his feelings, and pretend like everything was okay—but it wasn't. Things were different between them after that.

And a week after he'd kissed Sasuke in his kitchen, Naruto started dating Hinata.

Sasuke made himself stay away from Naruto after the wedding. He knew he couldn't compete with her. She could give him everything he ever wanted—and she had. She'd given him a son, and love, and she'd probably been sweet and kind and never once tried to kill him, or chidori'd him when he tried to kiss her. She was better for Naruto than Sasuke would ever be, and no matter how much it hurt, he knew staying away was the right thing to do.

But now she was gone. There wasn't anything standing in Sasuke's way anymore—besides the fact that Naruto wouldn't want him, would probably never look at anyone the way he'd looked at Hinata.

Kakashi's words kept ringing through his head.

" _You aren't planning on involving yourself in Naruto's life again, are you?"_

Was he? A small, terrible part of him wanted to. _Maybe if she's gone, he can be mine._ It was a terrible thing to think, the very worst, and yet he couldn't help himself. Ever since _that night_ a flame had been ignited inside him, a desire for Naruto beyond friendship, and despite doing everything he could to put it out it had maintained for four years, steadily burning. And with her death it somehow seemed stronger, like hope was the kindling it needed to grow.

He wanted to know what Naruto's lips felt like.

" _You aren't planning on involving yourself in Naruto's life again, are you?"_

Kakashi hadn't been asking out of pure curiosity; he knew that Sasuke had created distance between himself and Naruto after he got together with Hinata. He, like everyone, saw how Naruto flourished without his presence to bring him down. No one wanted him in Naruto's life.

They were probably right.

He should just keep his distance; it had been so long Naruto would continue not to notice. Things could stay the same and eventually Naruto would move on, his grief would pass, and he would raise his son to be just as strong and bright as he was. And Sasuke should let him, should leave him alone.

It was the right thing to do. Maybe, for once, Sasuke should try doing the right thing.

And yet—

There was a knock at his door. He scowled, settling his drink down and going to open it, wondering if there was some new information about Dorogakure and he was being sent back on a sudden mission to take care of it.

He wasn't expecting to see Naruto at his door, soaking wet and wearing nothing but a t-shirt and pants. He hated that his first thought was how good he looked.

"Sasuke!" he exclaimed, eyes still red from crying, but as big and blue as always.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?" Sasuke asked carefully. He still wasn't sure what to do. Was Naruto showing up at his apartment a sign?

"I uh, wanted to talk to you. It's late, sorry. Can I come in?" He had his hands in his pockets and shoulders hunched over. He looked cold.

Sasuke swallowed and nodded. He started leading Naruto towards the kitchen but stopped and turned towards the living room. The kitchen would be—it would be bad. Naruto sat on his knees and Sasuke sat across from him. It felt very formal. Whatever Naruto had to say seemed important from the serious look on his face and the way he held his back straight, staring nervously around the room before finally mumbling,

"You haven't changed much in here."

Sasuke blinked.

"I guess not."

Naruto looked up at him and attempted a smile. It fell from his face before it even spread to his eyes.

"I haven't, uh, been here in a while. I think you got more books!"

He looked at Sasuke's bookcase but Sasuke didn't follow his gaze. The rainwater had made Naruto's shirt stick to his skin and there were goosebumps up his arms. Sasuke should probably offer him a warm drink or a towel, but he can't move past the image of Naruto in his living room. It had been so long…

"What are you doing here, Naruto? What did you want to talk about?"

Naruto looked away, avoiding Sasuke's gaze. His shoulders were bunched and his wet bangs fell in his face. He sighed, taking in a deep breath.

"I miss you," he said, finally looking up, a sad smile lifting his lips. It was the same kind of smile Itachi used to give him, sad and trying so desperately to hide it.

"You see me all the time," Sasuke replied, somehow, though his mouth was dry and his throat closed off.

"It's not the same," Naruto shook his head. "I know we…fell apart. I know it was probably my fault. I didn't try harder to talk to you. I just let it happen and kept pretending like it wasn't happening—"

"Naruto—"

"—but I miss you! And I don't think I can do this anymore without you!"

"Naruto," Sasuke tried to keep his voice steady, to ignore all the things Naruto had left unsaid, to keep him from finding out how much hearing all those things meant. He had to rein this in, couldn't let it go to his head. "You're just upset because your wife is gone. You don't need me. You'll be fine."

Water droplets flew from his hair as he shook his head intently.

"You're wrong! This isn't just because of—because she's gone. I've missed you for a long time. I hated not talking to you and arguing with you and fighting with you! It felt like there was a part of my life missing! I thought I'd be okay with it but I'm _not_. I'm just _not_. You're my best friend and _I miss you_!"

Sasuke's mind was reeling. He'd really thought Naruto didn't notice his distance; he thought Naruto had moved on years ago, started his own life and was better off. Sasuke thought he was the only one still hurting, still waking up every day feeling empty.

"What do you want me to say?" he finally asked, voice soft. He was trying not to misinterpret Naruto's words. He missed Sasuke as a friend, a _best friend_ , nothing else. But the flame of hope in his heart flickered stronger anyway.

"Just," he huffed, rubbing a hand over his eyes and though his damp hair, "don't stay so far away anymore. I know things were—they were _weird_ between us, and it's my fault, and I'm sorry! But just promise me you'll be my—my friend, again. You said you'd be by my side, you _promised_ , and I need you there now, okay?"

He looked up defiantly into Sasuke's eyes, and that was the look that always drew Sasuke in, made him want to be a better person because Naruto wanted him to be. His resolve was crumbling looking into those determined eyes. It was like staring into the sun.

"Say you'll be my best friend again," he said, a pleading edge to his voice that hadn't been there before. It shot straight to Sasuke's heart. He closed his eyes.

"Okay," he agreed. When he opened his eyes Naruto's expression had gone lax, his entire posture was like he'd been holding his breath and finally he could let it out. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced than ever—he still hadn't slept. Had this been worrying his mind so much, with everything else that had happened?

"Alright," Sasuke added, nodding his head and standing. He reached down to help Naruto to his feet as well before the blond passed out on his living room floor. "I promise I won't keep my distance anymore."

"Sasuke," Naruto murmured, exhaustion written in every line of his body.

"Now get back home to your son," Sasuke said as he was pushing Naruto out the door. "He's probably wondering where you are."

He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, taking a long, deep breath in.

He had no idea what was going to happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** Reference to the japanese folk tale that says that if it rains while the sun is shining, a fox spirit is getting married.


	3. Father and Son

It had been five days since Naruto had shown up at his apartment late at night, drenched in rain and begging Sasuke to be his friend again. Sasuke was still having a hard time believing it really happened.

Why had Naruto come to him? It was so sudden and unexpected—Sasuke could never have been prepared for it. He thought for sure it was going to change everything, but it had been five days since then and Sasuke had yet to see Naruto once.

He was trying to be okay with it. In fact, he kept telling himself that it was for the best. Naruto probably just panicked after his wife's funeral and was looking for someone to turn to. Old habits die hard, and he came to Sasuke. It didn't mean anything.

" _You aren't planning on involving yourself in Naruto's life again, are you?"_

He wasn't going to involve himself in Naruto's life. He'd made up his mind; he was going to stay away. For Naruto's sake and for his own.

…Which was why he was hiding behind a candy display at the grocery store as two blond's shopped their way down the instant meal isle.

"Hmmmm," the taller blond hummed thoughtfully, staring at the shelf. He spotted something and gasped, bending to pick it up and put it in his cart. "I don't think we've tried this one, Nori! What do you think? How about we get, uhhh, seven? One for every day of the week."

Sasuke couldn't believe his luck. He'd gone out for groceries at the usual time: late in the evening, far later than a young child should be out buying groceries with his father. _She_ would never have brought him to the grocery store so late—but Naruto probably didn't know any better.

He didn't want to see them together, didn't want to see them at all. He'd made up his mind that he was going to leave Naruto alone. Surely he had enough to deal with, suddenly having to raise a child on his own. He didn't need Sasuke in his life bringing complication and unnecessary grief. Didn't need Sasuke in his life, with his selfish desires and thoughts he just couldn't squash.

And yet there he was, shopping in Sasuke's grocery store with his son like he was laughing in the face of Sasuke's firm determination to stay away. But Sasuke wasn't going to give up that easily, which was why he was hiding behind a display instead of revealing himself and becoming even more involved in Naruto's life. Sure, if he'd really wanted to he could have left the moment he saw a flash of blond hair. But… he _did_ need groceries, and maybe he had been thinking a bit ( _a lot_ ) about how both father and son were doing.

"Dad, I don't want noodles every night!" A quiet voice rose from the isle. Sasuke blinked in surprise, realizing that it was the very first time he'd ever really heard Naruto's son speak. His voice was small, but not stuttering or shy like he always acted around Sasuke. There was quiet determination in that little voice, like he was already used to shouting up at his father in order to be heard. Nori's voice sounded like paper crumpling or the creak of a floorboard at night: only loud if everything else around was quiet.

"Whaaat? These aren't just noodles. See, there's broth and some vegetables and—"

"What bout real veggies? I want stir fry!"

"S—stir fry?" Naruto murmured, and Sasuke peeked around to find him rubbing anxiously at the back of his head, staring down at his small son. Nori had his hands on his hips, pouting with an expression of utmost seriousness at his father. Naruto looked lost, like his son was asking him to accomplish an impossible task. Was stir-fry really that frightening?

Something horribly sad crossed over Naruto's features but was gone quickly enough that the young boy wouldn't have noticed it. Sasuke did notice it.

"I don't think it would be good if I tried to make stir-fry. Remember last time dad tried to cook?" he pointed to himself, grinning. The boy's eyes went wide and he nodded.

"No cooking for Daddy," he agreed, voice even smaller than before. Naruto nodded with mock seriousness and Sasuke rolled his eyes. He could imagine the kind of destruction Naruto might wreak if someone allowed him into the kitchen. Hinata had probably been cleaning for days.

He turned away, clenching his fists.

Naruto and his son, they had real memories together. Emotions and habits that came from spending quality time, all three: father and mother and son. Sasuke had no right to "involve himself" in those preset rhythms and patterns. He would only be a disturbance, would serve as a reminder to both of them that they were missing something. He couldn't do that to them.

"How about we get these for later," Naruto said, tossing the instant noodle meals into their basket that Sasuke reluctantly noted was filled with similar unhealthy, instant items. He started to turn away. He would just buy the items he already had and go home. Naruto would never know he was there and things could go back to normal.

"And we can have Ichiraku for dinner tonight!" Naruto added brightly. The checkout was just in front of him and Naruto would never see him. If he could just get his legs to move, to take him away before—

"Ichiraku again, Dad? We ate there every day this week!"

Sasuke took a deep breath and turned the corner into the isle where father and son were standing.

"I thought I heard your loud voice over here, Naruto."

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke didn't know what he was doing, but he figured he might as well pretend like he did until he eventually figured it out. As if on cue, as soon as he spotted Sasuke, Nori scampered behind his father's leg, holding onto the fabric of his pants and looking up at Sasuke with big white eyes from underneath his yellow bangs. Sasuke's stomach sank a bit; he didn't know why he thought Nori wouldn't be so scared of him after he'd saved him from the monsters in his head. The child had been so confused and terrified he should have known nothing that happened that night would make any difference. He didn't know why it bothered him so much.

"What are you doing here?" Naruto asked, like the grocery store was the last place he would have expected to meet Sasuke. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him, lifting his basket of items.

"Buying food? I would say you're doing the same, but looking into your cart I can't say that any of that could actually be considered _food_."

Naruto looked to his cart and then back at Sasuke, glaring. Nori continued to stare at Sasuke, his eyes unnervingly unblinking.

"This is perfectly good food! Right, Nori—eh? What's wrong?" The boy had started tugging on his father's pants, trying to get his attention. Naruto frowned and bent down so the boy could whisper in his ear. Sasuke turned towards the shelf—the image of Naruto and his son was doing something to him that he couldn't explain or control. Seeing the boy standing on his toes to speak in his father's ear as Naruto listened with rapt attention was too much to look at.

"A hero?" Naruto replied to his son's whispering. "No, he's just a jerk! What do you mean? Scary eyes? Well yeah I guess, but—"

Sasuke's mouth twitched. He didn't know why the boy was acting too shy to talk when he'd been fine a minute ago. He must have been more afraid of Sasuke than he originally thought. Maybe the incident with the beasts made it even worse—it was hard to explain how he'd been able to see inside the child's mind. He could still remember how the boy's arms had wrapped around him, squeezing tight.

He thought about her again and closed his eyes. Why was he doing this? He'd said he was going to stay away, and yet here he was, interfering in Naruto's life again. As if he hadn't done enough already…

"How old is he?" Sasuke found himself asking, distracting Naruto and Nori from the conversation they'd been quietly having. Naruto stood, resting a hand on top of Nori's head.

"Tell Sasuke how old you are," he said gently. Nori curled his hands tighter into the fabric of his father's pants.

"T—three," he peeped, voice like a bird.

"And a half!" Naruto added loudly and proudly, holding up three fingers and grinning. Nori buried his face into the back of Naruto's leg.

Sasuke had figured it was like that. It had been about four years since _that night_ , and Nori had been born not long after Hinata and Naruto started dating.

"Hey, sorry I haven't been around this week," Naruto murmured, rubbing the back of his head. Sasuke's face hid the surprise he felt. "I said we should hang out some more and then I wasn't around! Gaara was in town until this morning and he was helping me move. Nori and I didn't want to stay where…" he trailed off and Sasuke had to distract him before both father and son got those lost, pitiful looks on their faces.

"Don't worry about it. I was busy too. We can hang out now if you want. I was just about to go home and make dinner."

"What are you making?"

Sasuke pursed his lips, hesitating before finally answering,

"Stir-fry."

Blue and white eyes flew open. Nori tugged on his father's pant leg again, insistently.

"Dad!" he whispered, looking from Sasuke to his father expectantly. Sasuke stood in the isle uncomfortable. What was he doing?

"You were probably planning on getting ramen tonight," he said. Naruto flinched. "You never could cook anything but instant."

"I can make eggs now!" Naruto bit back, and Sasuke smirked. He'd missed this—the easy back and forth with Naruto. He really was Sasuke's best friend. No one else would bother putting up with him for so long. It was only because Naruto was so willfully determined that he stayed around.

Had it really been three and half years since he'd spoken with Naruto like this? Three and half years since he started answering all of Naruto's questions with one word and "Hokage-sama"? Three years since he made himself stop looking at Naruto because seeing him so happy and without him hurt too much?

It was like everything crashed over him at once—he _missed_ Naruto. He missed bickering and joking and fighting and the _alive_ feeling of being with Naruto, like when they were together everything was the way it was meant to be. He missed seeing Naruto's smile directed at him and it hurt because now he wanted so much more.

For once he pushed the guilt aside, didn't think about her or what was best or what was the right thing to do: he just thought about what _he_ wanted.

"Do you want stir-fry for dinner instead of ramen? I'm already making it for myself anyway."

Naruto's eyes went wide with surprise, and the child still insistently pulling on him repeated a little louder,

" _Dad_!"

It seemed like it took Naruto extra effort to pull his gaze away from Sasuke and down to his son. Nori motioned for him to come down and he did, so the child could whisper in his ear again. This time he wasn't quiet enough for Sasuke not to hear.

" _He's got vegebles in his basket, Dad_!"

Naruto turned back to Sasuke, staring with an odd expression at Sasuke's basket that was, indeed, filled with "vegebles." He looked up at Sasuke with those same wide eyes and strange expression, then back at his son, who nodded at him soundlessly. He stood and turned to Sasuke, unsure as he asked,

"A—are you sure, Sasuke? You don't have to. I know it's—" he glanced at his son, like he wasn't sure what Sasuke thought of him. It was true that Nori had never been a part of their relationship before, but for now Sasuke didn't mind. He knew that if he was going to have Naruto, his son with blank eyes and blond hair and soft voice and mysterious monsters inside his head was going to be there too.

"Hn," he replied with a sneer, walking towards the checkout. "You're paying."

* * *

The process of buying groceries took a bit longer than expected and was an experience Sasuke would not soon forget.

They had to get a few more items because of the added two people and before they even reached the produce section they'd been stopped by villagers three times, giving their condolences and commenting on how big Naruto's son was getting.

"He's going to be big and strong just like his father," one woman said with tears in her eyes, thinking about Hinata as she stared between father and son.

Naruto was always gracious to them, smiling and thanking them with a small bow. If they spoke to Nori he shyly replied—though Sasuke noticed that he wasn't nearly as shy around most strangers as he was around Sasuke. He was polite and looked them in the eyes, though his words sounded like they were practiced. Sasuke had never thought about what it must be like to be the village hero's son. All he'd ever known was pity from the adults around him. Nori had such a different experience as a child than either he or Naruto—and yet he'd still been forced to witness his mother's death before his very eyes.

The world was still cruel, no matter the generation. Sasuke only hoped it wouldn't scar Naruto's son the way it had scarred him.

By the time they made it through the checkout and on the way to Sasuke's apartment it was almost 9:30. He asked Naruto as they turned the corner to his house,

"Why were you shopping so late? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Nori was the one he thought should really be asleep, but he wasn't going to comment on Naruto's parenting. What did he know about it?

Naruto glanced down at his son, who had insisted on carrying one small bag himself, and frowned.

"We… couldn't sleep," he said, and Sasuke dropped the subject.

When they arrived at the apartment Naruto told his son to sit in the living room while he "helped" Sasuke start the meal. By helping, he really just stood in the doorway and watched as Sasuke turned on the stove and poured some oil in the pan.

"Will he be okay in there?" Sasuke asked. He didn't want the kid to be bored. He really had no idea what kids liked; it was bothering him. This was one thing he really didn't know how to do.

"He's fine," Naruto answered, brushing him off. "He's used to being by himself. I don't know why but he doesn't have a lot of friends."

"Maybe because he's so quiet," Sasuke answered. It sounded like it bothered Naruto to think that his son was a loner. Sasuke didn't think it should bother him so much, considering they were both the same at his age. Then again, Naruto had always been the one _wanting_ friends. Sasuke was the real loner of their age group.

The blond gave him a strange look.

"Quiet?" he asked, tilting his head. He shrugged and brushed it off before Sasuke could point out that Nori hadn't said a single word since they'd left the grocery store. "I hope Shikamaru and Temari really stay for a while this time. Did you know they were back?"

"Yeah. They have a daughter Nori's age, don't they?"

"Yeah, Shishika! And Asume is only a few years older, and Temari is pregnant again! Shika's terrified it's gonna be another girl!"

Sasuke smirked. He'd seen his old classmate with his daughters before. They seemed to have him, as the phrase goes, "by the balls." He could imagine Shikamaru dreading a third one.

"Nori and Shishika met when they were really little but they don't remember each other. I hope they'll be friends now that Shika and Temari are moving back."

Sasuke threw the chopped vegetables into the pan and it sizzled. He stirred effortlessly and cast a quick glance at Naruto. It was strange to have him in his kitchen again. He tried not to think about that night, but he couldn't help but see Naruto leaning against his counter with hooded eyes and a drunken blush tinting his cheeks.

The Naruto in his kitchen now wasn't drunk or blushing—he just looked exhausted.

" _We… couldn't sleep."_

Sasuke had the feeling Naruto wasn't just referring to tonight. He wondered when the last time father and son got a full night's sleep.

He couldn't help but picture the small, terrified child, curled up in a ball amidst a circle of monsters and he gestured towards the living room and lightly asked,

"How is he doing?"

Naruto's face fell and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"He has okay moments. It's not good when we're just sitting around. It's better when we're doing something else."

Sasuke understood that perfectly. When he'd been young and the memories of the massacre threatened to overwhelm him he would throw himself into training, punching trees until his knuckles bled and using up his chakra until there was just nothing left. Sometimes it helped.

He looked away from the sizzling pan again, catching Naruto's eye for half a second before turning back and adding gently,

"How are you doing?"

The blond took so long answering that Sasuke took the pan off the burner and turned it off to look back at Naruto. He was staring at Sasuke like he couldn't believe he was real.

"You know, you're the first person who's asked me that."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Naruto lowered his gaze again. What was that look in Naruto's eyes before? It had been more powerful than he expected.

He saw Naruto's fists clench at his sides.

"I'm just… mad!" he finally answered, exhaling frustration. "I'm mad at the—the world! It's unfair! _She didn't deserve to die_!"

The last part he whispered so his son in the other room wouldn't hear. Sasuke sighed, wishing there was something he could do. He didn't know how to act in this situation—and he felt like he was the worst person in the world for Naruto to be complaining to, considering his own twisted thought-process tied to her death. Yet he still felt like he had to give Naruto something, something to show Naruto that all his anger at the unfairness of the world was justified and natural.

"None of them deserved to die," he replied flatly. He didn't need to specify who "they" were. Naruto understood—"they" were everyone. Every last Uchiha and both of their parents and Itachi and Jiraiya and every single person who wasn't supposed to die, who didn't deserve it.

A pained look crossed Naruto's face. He was trying to keep from crying, so Sasuke looked away, busied himself finishing the stir-fry and portioning it out onto plates.

"Gaara," Naruto began, voice shaky but without sobbing, "said I can't blame myself, but—"

"Naruto, don't—"

"I should have been with them, Sasuke! I have all this power—we got all this _stupid fucking power_ and for what? I couldn't even protect my own family!"

"Nori is still here," Sasuke told him, taking a step towards Naruto. The blond looked up and there was so much trust in those dazzling blue eyes for a moment Sasuke couldn't believe it had been so long since they had spoken like this. It felt like no time had passed at all since he'd promised Naruto to stay by his side as he rose to the title of Hokage, since he and Naruto fought their last battle and Naruto had finally gotten through to him. They could still be the little 12 year old genin they were when they met, protecting each other at the cost of nearly their lives.

Sasuke tried, for once, believing that he was deserving of all the trust Naruto put in him.

"Nori is still here, Naruto. Don't forget that," he said, and Naruto listened. "This is coming from someone who knows: don't obsess over the past. You can be sad and angry, but don't let it consume you. Concentrate on the future and someday it'll… get easier."

Naruto blinked, staring at Sasuke like it was the first time he was seeing him. He seemed startled when he realized he'd started crying. He quickly wiped away the tears, glancing out towards the living room and then back to Sasuke. He was giving Sasuke that strange look again, the one Sasuke just couldn't place.

"You're a good motivational speaker," he finally said, joking lightly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, glad for the break in tension.

"Don't get used to it," he replied, handing Naruto plates of stir-fry. "We can eat in the living room. Go ahead and start. I'm going to make tea."

Naruto took the plates somehow without dropping them and Sasuke didn't miss the quick glance back Naruto gave before walking through the doorway. He told himself the flutter in his chest was just from the conversation they'd just had, but he was a liar.

He'd just set the pot on the stove when he heard from the other room,

"Oi, Sasuke, do you have a cat?"

* * *

"He's not _my_ cat. I don't have a cat."

Two pairs of eyes looked over at him uncertainly as the cat wound it's way between his legs, tail wrapping around his thigh as it rubbed it's head against his foot.

"Are you… sure, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, staring up at Sasuke like he was worried Sasuke just couldn't _see_ the cat. Sasuke glared at him.

"I don't have a cat," he repeated, though the effect of the statement was somewhat diminished when he placed a bowl of cat food on the floor at his feet and the animal meowed happily up at him and began eating.

It was a mangy thing, huge and all black with a tail twice the length of his body. He had scars and patches of missing hair all over—there seemed to be more every week. He was a fighter; Sasuke thought he fought dogs because other cats were no match for him. He always won anyway. At least, he always came back.

It was about two years ago that he first snuck into Sasuke's apartment through an open window. Sasuke had woken up to find him bleeding on his kitchen floor with a mouse dangling from his mouth dripping _even more blood_ onto the tile.

He'd picked him up and tossed him out, but he'd been back a week later. This time he brought Sasuke a baby rabbit, left it at his bedroom door and was cleaning himself on the couch when Sasuke found him. He'd tossed him out again and thought for sure that would be the end of it. The next day he woke up to find a snake the length of his katana dead and lying on his windowsill and the cat curled up against his leg.

Sasuke didn't bother tossing him out after that. Over time they formed something of a relationship: the cat could come and go as he pleased and Sasuke would scratch his ears until he purred as he read in the evenings. He bought the first bag of cat food on accident and only put it out when the cat showed up, which was about every week or so.

He was _not_ Sasuke's cat. Sasuke _did not_ have a cat.

"Oooh, Nori! I think he likes you!" Naruto said as the cat wrapped its tail around the child's head. He smiled and pet a line down his back. Sasuke ignored them as he ate his dinner.

"What's his name?"

"Doesn't have one," Sasuke grunted. Not his cat.

"He's tough," Nori said, voice tiny and shy. He seemed very content to pet the cat with one hand and eat his stir-fry with the other. Apparently he'd been petting the cat for several minutes while Sasuke and Naruto were in the kitchen. Sasuke hoped the thing didn't have any diseases.

"Should we call him that?" Naruto asked his son, grinning. Nori shook his head.

"His name is Muchi," he said quietly, giggling a bit when the cat tickled his nose with the tip of his tail. Sasuke sighed in defeat, taking a sip of tea. Its tail _did_ look like a whip.

"Have you gone back to your Hokage duties yet?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Kakashi says it'll be soon but he won't tell me when! I'm still Hokage technically, they just don't want me to go back to work until I'm 'ready,' whatever that means."

"They're just trying to protect you," Sasuke explained, thinking about his conversation with Kakashi at the funeral a week or so before.

"I can protect myself!" he replied stubbornly. He was still as much of a child as always, despite having had a child of his own. Sasuke used to find it annoying but somehow it had become endearing. It probably happened sometime around the time of _that night_ … A lot of things he'd thought about Naruto changed after that.

He tried to glance surreptitiously across the table as he finished off his dinner. Despite the tired bags beneath his eyes and the lackluster sheen to his skin Sasuke had to admit Naruto looked good.

He had matured and filled out even more over the years and though Sasuke saw him often enough to notice it he had never looked this closely before. Naruto's hair was a bit shorter and his face more masculine. There was something attractive about his features beyond that, the way he held himself and the shine he got in his eyes when he looked at his son. Fatherhood was a good look for him.

Sasuke blinked, surprised at himself. He turned his gaze to his plate and frowned. Was he really checking Naruto out right across the table from him? In front of his son? He swallowed and ignored the thoughts that tried to bubble up.

"Sasuke?" he jerked his head up to find Naruto staring at him apologetically.

"What—" he started to ask, then noticed that Nori was fast asleep on the floor, the cat, now apparently named Muchi, curled in his lap.

"Sorry about that," Naruto smiled, rubbing the back of his head. He was talking softly, careful not to wake the sleeping child. "I can't believe he fell asleep like that. He hasn't been sleeping well lately. He keeps saying something's keeping him up in his head? I'm worried he's thinking about, you know…" he trailed off, suddenly sad. Sasuke nodded.

"Hey, Sasuke?" Naruto asked, voice light. His eyes were curious, puzzled.

"Hn?"

"Why did you offer to make us dinner?"

Sasuke stared at him, blinking before replying easily,

"I couldn't let you keep feeding a child toxic waste in good conscience. And he didn't seem to want Ichiraku either."

Naruto didn't seem completely satisfied with that answer, and Sasuke didn't want him pressing the issue so he stood and collected the plates off the table to go into the kitchen to wash them.

"Is that really the only reason?" Naruto still managed to ask before he stepped through the kitchen door. Sasuke looked back over his shoulder at Naruto who was sitting on the floor and staring at Sasuke calculatingly, like he was trying to solve a puzzle. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What other reason would I have, idiot?"

Naruto continued staring at him for a moment before finally shrugging and looking away. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head.

"Nevermind then."

Sasuke finally went into the kitchen and started washing the dishes. His mind kept turning over the evening as he scrubbed the pan and the plates. He'd said he wasn't going to involve himself in Naruto's life but that's exactly what he did—yet he couldn't find it in himself to regret it.

" _Why did you offer to make us dinner?"_

Why had he revealed himself in that grocery store in the first place? He kept thinking about Naruto's face when he'd been talking to Nori in that grocery isle, when he'd admitted to being angry at the unfairness in the world, and when he'd smiled across from Sasuke at dinner.

He finished washing everything and set it on the rack to dry, walking back into the living room to offer Naruto a place to sleep for himself if he didn't want to wake Nori.

He entered the room only to find that Naruto was already asleep, head lying sideways on the cushion of the couch with one hand resting on his son's arm.

Sasuke sucked in a breath of air and closed his eyes. He exhaled slowly and went into his closet to find an extra blanket. He laid it over both blonds, eyes lingering briefly on Naruto's lips before he pulled back and shook his head.

" _Why did you offer to make us dinner?"_

"Because you looked like you were going to cry over stir-fry, idiot."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muchi - in case you didn't notice, I changed the cat's name from Kurotsuru to Muchi, which means Whip. 
> 
> Wow! I love how much feedback this story is getting! Next update might take a bit, but not too long, I promise!


	4. Find What He Likes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Sasuke EVER find out what Nori likes?

Sasuke dreamt of the past.

He dreamt of the cold, stale air in Orochimaru's hideouts and the way eyes followed him wherever he went. He dreamt of fire and Itachi's Susanoo and ravens. He dreamt of Naruto's voice shouting "I don't give up on my friends!" and grinning with a bloody mouth and a bruised cheek.

He dreamt of Naruto's eyes, the scent of the sun, tanned skin. He dreamt of Naruto's lips soft against his.

He woke to the smell of eggs.

He sat up and got dressed quickly. He'd forgotten that Naruto and his son had slept at his house the night before. Though it had been _hard_ to forget that fact last night, lying in bed and trying not to think about Naruto sleeping peacefully in the other room. He wondered if that was why he'd had such strange dreams.

"Finally you're up!" Naruto teased when he entered the kitchen.

"It's _my_ house. I can sleep as late as I want," Sasuke replied grumpily. Though when he did look at the clock he had to admit it was later than he usually slept. He wished he knew how long the two blonds in his kitchen had been awake.

Nori was sitting at the kitchen table, his feet swinging above the floor. His eyes went wide when he noticed Sasuke staring at him. Sasuke felt his stomach sink a bit; he'd hoped the night before might have warmed the child to him a little more.

"Good morning," he said, careful not to sound scary or intimidating. He usually didn't care about those things but for some reason he wanted Naruto's son to like him—or at least not act so shy and stuttering around him. He'd been fine hugging Sasuke the night he rescued him but ever since then it was like Sasuke was still a stranger, no matter what he did.

Sure enough Nori avoided his gaze upon being addressed, twisting his jacket in his fists and staring at the ground while replying timidly,

"G—good morning."

"Nori! Why are you messing with your jacket like that?" Naruto asked, obliviously sprinkling pepper into a pan. "Do you have to pee?"

The child nodded, slight pink tinting his cheeks.

"Ohh, that makes sense! It's down the hall on the left. Make sure to tighten the hot water handle all the way or it leaks."

The little blond nodded and hopped down from the chair, padding towards the bathroom. Sasuke had forgotten how much Naruto knew about his house, down to which knobs in his bathroom leak if they aren't tightened. Before _that night_ and everything that happened he'd spent a lot of time at Sasuke's apartment. He would jus show up randomly and when Sasuke complained he just said that if he didn't come over to visit then he'd never see Sasuke again. He was probably right.

"I got that fixed, you know," he said, putting on a pot of tea and staring at the eggs Naruto was preparing on the stove.

"What?"

"The leaking sink in the bathroom."

He'd gotten a lot of things done once Naruto wasn't a part of his life anymore. So much of his time had been taken up spending it with Naruto and he didn't notice it until it stopped. Once Naruto was gone he had to fill all the empty spaces he'd left, find ways to keep going without the company of Naruto Uzumaki to spur him on.

He spent a good amount of time doing housework. He fixed the leaky faucet in the bathroom and a leaky part of the roof above the bedroom closet. He repainted the walls and re-tiled the floors. When some kids broke one of his windows he decided to replace all of them and install the new ones himself. Every creaky door and floorboard was fixed, then he sanded his coffee and kitchen tables and stained them to look brand-new.

All of this was within the first three months of Naruto's marriage.

Sakura would come over sometimes and whenever she noticed a new repair or upgrade to his apartment she gave him a knowing look that he willfully ignored. He didn't want to admit to her that the home repair hobby was what he spent the least of his time doing—most of it was dedicated to thinking and overthinking about _that night_ until every little detail was as familiar as the blood running through his veins.

"Really?" Naruto asked, surprised. His expression softened and he smiled sadly at the floor. Sasuke frowned. "I guess it has been a few years…"

When Naruto had come asking to be friends again he'd almost sounded guilty, like he was the one who ruined their friendship when Sasuke knew for a fact nothing would have changed if he hadn't let it. He'd spent the days after _that night_ debating whether he should tell Naruto how the kiss affected him. They were drunk, Sasuke couldn't deny that truth, but it wasn't like Naruto was so drunk he didn't know who Sasuke was. Did he get carried away by the mood? Was he so drunk he would have kissed anyone? Had he thought about kissing Sasuke before?

All this hope was burning inside Sasuke's chest, and even when Naruto announced he was going on a date with Hinata Sasuke hadn't been that worried. Naruto had waited for him for years—could Hinata say the same?

And yet more and more time passed and any sign that Naruto might have given him to hint that the kiss was more than just a drunken accident never appeared. Sasuke's hope slowly faded, turned to self-doubt and regret that he didn't do something sooner. When Naruto told him he was getting married Sasuke knew he missed his chance and that both he and Naruto would be better off if they didn't interact, at least not with Sasuke's unresolved feelings between them.

Maybe he was wrong, after all.

"You and Nori can come over for dinner another night, if you want."

"Really?" he asked, looking up suddenly with eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Sure," Sasuke shrugged. "I don't want you starving the kid. Hinata wouldn't be very happy with you if you did."

He knew it was cruel of him to speak her name so soon, but he couldn't stand that sad look on Naruto's face. For so long, Naruto always smiled when he was around Sasuke, and maybe he took it for granted and maybe he missed it after all these years, but he knew that he needed it now, like he needed light to see. He wouldn't be the one to stand aside and let Naruto wallow in his grief. Naruto wouldn't be the one standing staring at a grave every day and dreaming of what could have been. Sasuke owed him that much.

Sasuke continued, pretending not to notice the expression of shock in Naruto's face, or hear the way his breath sucked in at the sound of her name,

"Don't expect me to do anything else for you, though. You can wash your own clothes and iron your own underwear."

"I—I know how to wash my clothes, asshole! You never forget stuff like that!"

Sasuke smirked, glad his ploy worked.

"Bold words from someone who can't even make eggs without burning them," he said, nodding to the smoking pan.

Naruto's face fell and he scrambled to salvage the un-burnt bits of egg, diving them into three parts and putting them on plates. Sasuke poured the boiling water into a mug and sat at the kitchen table. Naruto grumpily slammed a plate in front of him and sat in the chair opposite him. He took a bite of eggs and grimaced.

"You let me burn those on purpose," he accused.

"Don't blame others for your mistakes," Sasuke replied sagely. Naruto rolled his eyes. "You know you're going to have to learn how to cook at some point, right?"

"These eggs taste fine, and I don't know what you're talking about. If we come over for dinner here once a week, and go to Iruka-sensei's place another night, and maybe Sakura will make us dinner one night, and we visit Neji another night, and then Hiashi and Hanabi, that makes," he counted them off on his hand, holding up his fingers to show Sasuke his well thought-out plan, "Five meals! And we can eat Ichiraku for two days and I won't have to cook!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the confident grin Naruto had spread across his face.

"First of all, who said you could eat here once a week? I said you could come over again, not every week. I won't even be here every week—I still have missions. Secondly, you can't just rely on other people for food. Nori will start to get tired of going to other people's houses."

"Mehhh, Sasuke, he'll be fine! This is a great plan. Besides, Nori likes going over to people's houses. He liked playing with your cat last night."

"I don't have a cat."

As if summoned, the cat strolled into the kitchen with its head and impossibly long tail held high. He rubbed his head first against Sasuke's leg and then Naruto's, all the while Sasuke glared at Naruto's knowing smile from across the table. Eventually Sasuke sighed and looked away.

"You should at least know how to make rice. Anyone can make rice."

Naruto looked like he was about to reply but that was when Nori appeared again, brightening when he saw the cat in the middle of the kitchen. Naruto intercepted him on his way to pet the animal, picking him up easily and swinging him in the air, earning a reluctant-sounding giggle before finally holding the boy carefully against his hip. He rested his forehead against his son's and smiled.

Sasuke had to look away; the image of the two of them together made his heart ache for something he didn't know he wanted. They looked like _home_.

He swallowed. They were _her_ home, not his.

"What do you say, Aonori?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke wondered whether it was a nickname or a full name. "We promised we would visit Uncle Neji today, didn't we?"

The boy nodded silently. Sasuke looked over just in time to catch the mischievous glint in Naruto's eyes as he added carefully, "Maaaybe, if you ask him really nicely, Uncle Neji will get you some…" he whispered the last part Nori's ear so Sasuke couldn't hear, but the next thing he knew the boy was scrambling down from his father's arms and racing towards the front door.

"Dad! Come on! Dad, let's go! We have to meet Uncle Neji!" Naruto chuckled to himself, turning to Sasuke and looking exhausted all over again.

Suddenly Sasuke didn't want to let him leave.

He wanted to spend more time with him—they'd only had a little while to talk the night before and it seemed the morning would be cut short too. Sasuke had finally decided he was going to be in Naruto's life again and he wanted to really be in it this time. He wasn't going to let Naruto slip away again. He was going to be there for Naruto—and his son—no matter what that meant.

"Sorry about the eggs, Sasuke," Naruto grinned, trying not to let his exhaustion and stress show. Sasuke stood, carefully placing a hand on Naruto's arm. The blond's eyes shot open in surprise.

"Tell me if you need anything," he said lowly, suddenly aware of how close he and Naruto were standing, and in his kitchen of all places. Naruto stared at him for what seemed like a long time, then blinked and moved back, towards the front door.

"I will," he answered, averting his gaze. "Thanks for… thanks for last night."

Sasuke nodded and walked Naruto to the front door where Nori was standing practically vibrating with energy.

"Dad!" he said, tugging on Naruto's hand.

"Say thank you to Sasuke for letting us sleep here," Naruto told him in what Sasuke was quickly learning was Naruto's "Dad Voice."

And just like that, all of Nori's excited, outgoing energy vanished. When he turned to Sasuke he was shy again, unable to look in Sasuke's eyes.

"T—thank you," he said, voice tiny and timid. He gave a small bow and tugged at the bottom of his jacket anxiously.

Sasuke had gotten his hopes up again only to have them dashed—Nori still wasn't comfortable around him. He was still a stranger.

"You're welcome," he replied, and watched as the boy reached out for his father's pants and held onto them until they were outside of the apartment and on their way.

* * *

"Ah, Sasuke. I wouldn't have thought to run into you today."

Iruka was older and in Sasuke's opinion he looked it. There were laugh lines in the corners of his eyes and frown lines near his eyebrows and he always heard others say their old teacher looked about ten years older than he was. Most blamed it on Naruto—stress from dealing with Konoha's number on unpredictable ninja.

Still, he smiled pleasantly when he spotted Sasuke on a quiet street near the Hokage Tower. He had Nori with him and, as expected, the child hid himself behind the teacher's leg as soon as he spotted Sasuke.

The elder seemed rather surprised, raising his eyebrows and looking down at the child clinging shyly to him and avoiding Sasuke's gaze. Sasuke was disappointed again, though he didn't know why. Naruto's son was scared of him; that was all. It wasn't all that surprising if he was being honest with himself. He didn't give off a friendly vibe, even when he was trying.

"I was just going to meet with Kakashi," he said.

"Ah, Naruto is talking with him now. He asked me to watch Nori while they argu—discussed when he would be returning to his title."

Sasuke smirked and Iruka gave a faint smile. Watching Naruto and Kakashi argue was always amusing. Kakashi generally had the upper hand, but at some point Naruto thought to start using Icha Icha as leverage—Kakashi's one true weakness.

"Nori," he said, leaning down and placing a hand on the child's shoulder. "Did you say hello to Sasuke?"

"He—hello—o," he stuttered, averting his eyes and toying with the bottom of his jacket. Iruka smiled apologetically.

"He's not usually this shy."

Sasuke begged to differ. The only time he thought he'd seen Nori relax around him was when he'd been petting the cat, and once he noticed Sasuke watching him he went back to anxiously pulling on his jacket.

"Do you watch him often?" Sasuke found himself asking. Iruka' smile faltered.

"More lately," he replied, and Sasuke nodded. He could figure out easily what that meant. "To be honest he's always sort of felt like a grandson. Gosh… that makes me feel old."

"You practically adopted Naruto years ago," Sasuke reminded him. "He should be like a grandson."

"I suppose you're right. We were just going into town to get something special, weren't we?" he asked Nori, smiling again. Nori's pale eyes widened, just like they had when Naruto had whispered something in his ear the other day. Sasuke was curious what it was that could make Nori react that way. He almost seemed like Naruto when someone offered to buy him ramen.

The boy nodded his head and Iruka waved goodbye as they started walking off. Sasuke frowned—something about Nori's appearance bothered him. It clicked as he was halfway up to the Hokage office.

The bags under Nori's eyes were still there, maybe even darker than they had been before.

He still wasn't sleeping.

* * *

Naruto was just leaving the office when Sasuke reached it. He nearly tackled Sasuke to the ground if Sasuke hadn't been quick enough to get out of the way.

"Sasuke!" he shouted as soon as he realized who he'd almost run over. "I'm going back to Hokage duties tomorrow!"

"Congratulations," Sasuke replied, still not quite used to speaking with Naruto like this again. He'd spent so long avoiding any friendly conversation that now it didn't come easy. He had to work at it.

"Kakashi wanted me to take more time off, but I've been working on a plan with some other Kages to repopulate Uzushiogakure and I don't want to keep them waiting. What are you doing here?"

"Kakashi summoned me," he replied. "Or, the Hokage did—so maybe it was you?"

"Ah!" Naruto nodded and switched to his 'Hokage Naruto' mode. "You have a mission."

Sasuke tensed instantly.

"Dorogakure again?" Surely Kakashi wouldn't let Naruto be involved if it were the Mud nin who were responsible for her death were involved. But Naruto shook his head, frowning and staring at Sasuke like he was worried Sasuke knew more than he did. Sasuke never should have said anything; from the look on Naruto's face it was almost as if he'd already forgotten that she'd been _murdered_. To him she was just dead, that was tragedy enough.

"You still have a summoning contract with the snakes, don't you?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke would admit he hadn't expected that question.

"I don't think it expires," though he wasn't completely sure. It wasn't as though he signed the summoning contract because he particularly wanted to—Orochimaru had offered it and he knew it would make him stronger, so he did it. After he signed the contract with the Hawks he rarely used the snakes anymore.

"Why?"

"There's a nest in the mountains near Takigakure that's been causing trouble. We're sending you to talk with them and keep them out of trouble."

A mission so far away from the village, and one Sasuke could surely accomplish in his sleep?

"Why don't they just send someone from Takigakure?"

"Because some of those snakes are huge! And creepy… I wouldn't wanna have to go talk to them."

 _Says the shinobi with a contract with_ frogs _._ He considered it for a moment, then shrugged and turned to walk back down the stairs. He clearly didn't need to speak with Kakashi after all.

"No, I don't think I'll take the mission."

He wished he could have seen the expression on Naruto's face. Instead he just heard the sputtering as Naruto processed what he'd said and hurried to catch up with him.

"It's not a _request_ , teme!"

Sasuke's heartbeat stuttered and he paused, just short enough so Naruto wouldn't notice. The nickname caught him off guard. How long had it been since Naruto called him that?

"It's a damn mission!" Naruto continued, oblivious to Sasuke's distracted thinking. "You can't just refuse to go!"

"There's nothing that says you have to take a mission if you don't want to." He didn't want to take the mission—he couldn't leave now when things were so uncertain and new with Naruto. If he left and something happened, Naruto needed someone to talk to or someone else found him in that grocery store instead and took him home…

It wasn't as if there weren't others interested in the Hokage. Certainly, when he was a married man no one made their intentions clear but as a widowed husband Sasuke wasn't sure.

The guilt touched upon him again—how could he try and pretend like Naruto belonged to him? If anything, Naruto still belonged to her, and probably always would. Was it right to try and keep Naruto to himself when he didn't have a chance anyway?

" _I was sooo drunk last night, Sasuke! It was an accident, I swear!"_

"Why don't you send Hyuuga? I'm sure he could use something to distract him."

"Neji doesn't know a damned thing about snakes! That's the whole point of sending _you_!"

Sasuke spun around and cornered Naruto with a gaze. Blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Find me a mission in the village and I'll take it. Send Karin to deal with the snakes—she knows them better than I do anyway."

Naruto huffed, grumbling about insubordination and good-for-nothing assholes. Sasuke slipped his hands into his pockets, smirking to himself so Naruto couldn't see. After all this time and he could still piss Naruto off better than anyone—at least he could say that.

* * *

After that, Sasuke was assigned shifts at the Hospital. He'd done it before, sometimes as requested and others in his spare time. He didn't assist with healing but spent time studying patients injured in unusual ways in battle. His experience with scientific study after all his time around Orochimaru and his knowledge of genjutsu were useful, as most of the patients that needed study were victims of genjutsu gone bad.

He worked with Sakura mostly, which was fine with him. She had changed a lot since they were young and when she concentrated on her healing he could even come to respect her.

He didn't believe her crush on him ever really went away. He would still catch her staring at him times when she thought he wasn't looking, fixing her clothes or hair if they went out to eat or spent time together away from missions and work. He ignored it, because she had, at least, stopped fawning over him completely. She was herself around him, tough and serious, but with a smart, funny side that he appreciated. She was still one of the few people in the village who seemed to enjoy his company, and when he had stopped spending time with Naruto he spent time with her instead. They mostly talked about work, and he'd made sure she knew a long time ago to never expect anything romantic of him.

"So," she said, quickly moving a strand of hair out of her face and bending over the seal that had placed one of her patients in a coma, "you finally stopped avoiding Naruto."

"I was never—"

"Don't lie to me, Sasuke. I'm not the same idiot I used to be."

He huffed, scowling at the marks she'd already made on a scroll in an attempt to unseal the shinobi lying comatose in a hospital bed a few rooms away.

"This won't work," he pointed out a small mistake and her eyes flit over to the paper he had in front of him. "It will free his body of the seal's effects but not his mind. You missed it on the original seal."

"That's why you're helping me, and don't change the subject," she scolded, standing up straight and turning to him with fiercely narrowed green eyes.

He thought about what Kakashi asked and worried that Sakura would feel the same.

" _You aren't planning on involving yourself in Naruto's life again, are you?"_

"He's the one who's been hanging around me. He came over one night crying about how we weren't close anymore and he missed me, the idiot. He acts like I haven't been here."

She laughed darkly.

"Please, Sasuke, you already know how he'd be acting if you really weren't here. He'd come chasing after you until he brought you back, remember?"

He refused to answer her, staring down at the seal and hoping she would drop it. If only he were so lucky.

"And he's right, you know," she said, her tone somehow accusing and gentle at the same time. Sasuke just found it patronizing. "You were here but you weren't here for _him_. You weren't even at his _wedding_."

"I had a mission—"

"That you could have easily gotten out of! I know you won't tell me what happened between you two, but at least tell me it's finally getting better. At least tell me you're trying."

Sasuke's stomach clenched; she was angry at him for avoiding Naruto all these years, not angry that he was 'involving himself in Naruto's life again.' She probably just didn't want to be stuck between them anymore.

"Hinata died, Sakura. He came to me asking to be friends again. Do you really think I would have turned him away?"

"I don't know, Sasuke," she sighed, exasperated. "You weren't there when he needed you before—what makes this any different?"

_Because she's gone, and because he came to me, and because I missed him, too, and I didn't even realize it._

"It's different. Trust me." He met her gaze and held it for a moment, but when she finally shrugged and looked towards the clock on the wall she still didn't seem convinced.

"I've got to go. We can finish this tomorrow—it's not like our patient is going anywhere."

"I could come over later tonight to work on it. We're almost finished."

She glanced at him over her shoulder, something appraising in her eyes. She was considering him.

"I'm babysitting Nori," she finally said, her expression shrewd and calculating, watching him carefully to see his reaction. She was used to him avoiding Naruto's son at all costs, knew that he never came over if Nori was there.

He blinked and turned towards the door.

"I'll see you at nine."

* * *

"Sakura," he called, closing the door behind him and following the voices coming from Sakura's living room. He didn't bother knocking; she knew he was coming over.

"—and then the lights went out and Dad said a bad word and he had to go somewhere and turn them back on again and it was dark, but it's okay because I'm not scared of the dark." Sasuke was surprised to hear Nori speaking so easily with Sakura; he was always surprised to hear Nori speaking easily simply because it never seemed to happen around him. He paused just outside of the living room to listen to Sakura's reply. She giggled and asked,

"You aren't scared of the dark anymore, Nori? I remember last time you were here you wanted me to leave the light on when you went to bed."

"That was because I was _alone_ in the dark!" he replied intently, voice high and piping. "I don't like that."

"Weren't you alone in your house when Naruto went to turn the lights back on?"

"No, all my friends were there. Shu told me I'm too old to be scared of the dark anymore."

"Who is—" Sakura started to ask, but Sasuke had had enough of waiting, she obviously hadn't heard him come in, and he stepped around the corner so she and Nori would know he was there.

"Oh, hello Sasuke," Sakura said, smiling. She turned to the child, whose eyes had gotten wide at the sight of the Uchiha. "Nori, you know Sasuke now, don't you?"

The child looked away, nodding. Sakura's eyebrows rose in surprise but Sasuke could have told her that would happen. No matter how many times he saw the child he was still afraid. Sasuke was trying not to take it personally but judging from the reactions of other people he was the only one Nori acted this way around.

He didn't think the child was warming up to him.

"Sasuke and I are going to work on some boring papers for a while—why don't you go get ready for bed?"

He looked at first as though he were going to reply, then just nodded and made his way down the hall to Sakura's room. Sasuke took a seat at the table across from Sakura and as soon as Nori was out of earshot she turned to him with an amused look and asked,

"Does he always act that way around you?"

Sasuke glared. She didn't have to point it out.

"Yes. And apparently it's only me."

She giggled.

"It's not funny. I don't—" he hesitated, sighing and looking away before adding unhappily, "I don't think he likes me."

Sakura, heartless as she was, only laughed harder and Sasuke couldn't help but feel it was directed at him more than the situation. When Sasuke finally turned back to look at her he was surprised to find how soft her expression was, somber and sad around the edges. She seemed like she was looking past him instead of at him. He understood when she finally murmured,

"I think Nori might take after his mother sometimes."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question. She smiled.

"Don't you remember how Hinata was? Oh well, you were gone for a long time."

He clenched his teeth; after all these years and it still stung when someone brought up his past like his life and his choices were some dirty mistake no one ever talked about.

"Hinata was always shy around Naruto. She was shy around everyone, but with Naruto she could barely talk to him. It's not a surprise you never noticed—you didn't really notice girls when we were young."

Sasuke stiffened at the insinuation, afraid to look up and see something knowing in Sakura's eyes. He'd heard of "women's intuition" and he couldn't risk Sakura guessing the truth; who knew what she would do if she knew?

"What does that have to do with Nori disliking me?" he snapped.

She rolled her eyes, as if he was the stupid one.

"She was shy around Naruto because she _liked_ him."

" _I think Nori might take after his mother sometimes."_ Sasuke frowned.

"You think he likes me… so he's shy around me?"

She shrugged, pulling out the seal papers and spreading them on the table.

"He's always been quieter than other kids. Never shy like he is around you, but more… mature?"

Sasuke remembered that Sakura had known Nori much longer than he had. She'd babysat for him and spent time with him often when he was young. He was curious enough to ask her gently,

"Is he any different since the attack? Kakashi told me he saw the whole thing."

She continued looking down at the papers in front of her but her eyes hardened.

"Sometimes it seems like he's okay. We were talking normally when you got here. Other times he's…" She bit her lip, exhaling slowly. "He seems distracted. He stares at nothing and looks around the room like he's trying to—I don't know!"

"What?" he pressed, though Sakura seemed upset by the conversation. She glanced down the hall where Nori was still off getting ready for bed.

"He acts like he's looking for her, okay! And anyone can look at him and tell he's not sleeping."

Sasuke nodded. "I noticed that too." He wondered if she knew about the beasts. In fact, it hadn't occurred to him to ask if Naruto knew about the beasts inside his child's head. At first he thought of course Naruto knew—he was their guardian after all—but suddenly he wasn't sure.

"And I'm worried about Naruto, of course!" She blurted; Sasuke could tell she'd been holding it in. "He's still so young, to have to raise a child on his own… I know it isn't their fault but they were too young when they had Nori!"

"No one ever wanted something like this to happen to Naruto," Sasuke told her, and it was true. No matter how he felt about Naruto's wife's death he knew for sure he'd never wanted Naruto to be hurting so much.

He hadn't meant to upset Sakura with his questions, but he'd been worried about the child ever since the night he rescued him—and it wasn't only because Nori was Naruto's son. He was worried about Nori and wanted Nori to like him and was bothered because Nori wasn't sleeping and it wasn't about Naruto. He had spent so long avoiding Naruto's son because it hurt too much, but all it had taken were some tears and a frightened hug and Sasuke was caught. He couldn't help it.

Naruto's son had probably inherited his father's special power: he could make anyone fall for him.

"You know," he said, amazed that for once it was up to him to break the tension, "he doesn't even like ramen. Are we sure he's really Naruto's child?"

Even Sakura was surprised, looking up at him as he smiled faintly at her. After a moment she smiled back.

"He may not love ramen like his father, but he's _exactly_ like Naruto when it comes to what he likes."

"And what is that?" He asked, genuinely curious. He remembered how excited Nori had been, first with Naruto and then with Iruka—could that be to what Sakura was referring?

Her grin spread and her expression turned giddy.

"You don't know about—?" she cut herself off, giggling. "No wonder he's shy around you!"

"What does he like?" Sasuke asked, annoyed by how secretive she was being. She shook her head.

"I think you'll need to find that out yourself, Uchiha."

"Sakura…"

"Noriii!" She called out in sing-song, standing and walking towards the bedroom. Sasuke huffed, annoyed that he was no closer to finding out what Nori liked than he had been before. Maybe if he knew he would be a step closer to getting Naruto's son to stop being so shy around him…

* * *

"Does Nori like barbeque?"

Naruto gave him a strange look.

"Uhhh, I think he likes barbeque okay? He's not as crazy about it as Choji or anything."

"Does he like animals?"

Sasuke didn't even have to look over to know Naruto was staring at him strangely again. He ignored it and continued making dinner.

"He likes your cat… he doesn't like frogs, though."

"Really?" Sasuke asked, amused. He ignored the incorrect statement about "his cat." _He didn't have a cat._

"No," Naruto pouted, shoulders falling. "He makes faces whenever we visit the Myoboku. I even gave him a stuffed toad when he was little and he never played with it!"

"He probably just doesn't want to get all warty like you."

"Who's warty?" Naruto shouted, and Sasuke smirked. "Better warty than slimy, snake-man!"

"Have you ever even touched a snake? They aren't slimy, idiot."

"Whatever, still creepy. Karin talked to the snakes by the way. You were right, she probably did a better job than you would have anyway. If you had gone you wouldn't have bothered trying to talk to them, just would have started glaring at them and stabbing all the ones who wouldn't do what you asked."

"I would have gotten the job done," Sasuke replied. "What else does Nori like?"

"I don't know," Naruto replied, throwing his shoulders up in a shrug. "Why do you wanna know what Nori likes anyway?"

"I just do. Don't worry about it, Naruto."

He glanced away from the stove to find Naruto staring at him suspiciously through narrowed eyes. He turned his back and added lightly,

"Does he like games?"

"I don't know, I mean…" he trailed off, sitting silently until Sasuke had to turn back to him to make sure he was still there. He was staring at the ground blankly and Sasuke's chest ached. He didn't want Naruto to look like that; He didn't want Naruto to be sad ever again. It was impractical, a foolish thought to have, but he couldn't help it. He was so hopelessly in love with the idiot he wanted irrational things, like for him to never be sad again, for him to suddenly stand up and kiss Sasuke in his kitchen again, for them to start again and Sasuke not to fuck it up this time.

"We used to play cards," he muttered. Sasuke didn't need to ask whom "we" referred to. It was in the slump of Naruto's shoulders, the clench of his fists. It was in the sorrowful expression on his face and the hushed tone of his voice. Sasuke wanted to kiss him—to make all the pain go away, even if it was only for a moment.

He turned back to the food.

"I have cards."

* * *

They ended up playing go fish as they ate; it was Nori's favorite game. He avoided Sasuke's gaze and stuttered every time he asked Sasuke if he had a card, but when he won he smiled and something in Sasuke's chest felt warm. He tried thinking about what Sakura had said, that maybe Nori was only shy around him because he liked him. It made Sasuke feel a bit better but he still wished Nori would open up around him, even just a little.

Naruto lost almost every game and sulked. The cat was sitting between him and Nori and knocked Naruto's cards out of his hand with its tail two times.

"Oi, cat—" he threatened, glaring at the purring animal as its tail twitched in his face.

"His name is Muchi," Nori reminded him softly.

"Well his tail needs to calm down! I'm already getting destroyed by you two without dropping my cards all over the ground on top of it!"

"Maybe if you weren't so clumsy you wouldn't drop your cards," Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah, Dad!" Nori agreed, giggling.

"Don't side with him, Nori! Hmmmm, do you have any tens?"

"Go fish!"

"Awwww man! My own son!" Naruto groaned dramatically, reaching for the pile of cards in the center of the table. "First you side with the jerk over here and then you tell me to go fish! I guess you don't want to go out for dessert tonight…"

Sasuke heard a tiny gasp beside him and looked over to see Nori's eyes go wide. He shook his head quickly and Naruto grinned.

"Pleeeeease, Dad!" Nori whispered, bouncing up and down and holding his cards tight in his hands.

"Maaaybe if I win this round," Naruto answered, lifting his head.

"Cheating!" Sasuke hissed from the side of his mouth. Naruto peeked at him with one eye and stuck his tongue out.

Naruto actually did wind up winning that round and Nori decided they needed to leave after that. Sasuke kept hoping Naruto would say what dessert they were going to get—did Nori just love dessert so much? He probably had a favorite, like Naruto's favorite food was Ichiraku ramen.

When they started towards the door the cat meowed at them and Nori paused to pet him once. Sasuke leaned against the wall and hated how badly he wanted them to stay.

"Thanks for dinner again, Sasuke!" Naruto smiled, halfway out the door, Nori's hand in his.

_I love you._

"Hn. Next time I'm making you cook the rice."

He laughed.

"If you want to eat burnt rice then okay! Say bye, Nori."

"Bye-bye," Nori said without stuttering, though he still avoided Sasuke's gaze and pulled at the bottom of his jacket. Sasuke sighed and waved as they closed the door and he was left alone again.

"Mrrreowww!"

* * *

"Sasuke, I'm going on a mission," Naruto said in his "hokage voice."

The Uchiha still wasn't sure why he'd been called to the Hokage's office. He'd already been given a week off after the month he'd spent at the hospital with Sakura. It must have been an emergency mission for him to be called in, but Naruto seemed more nervous than he should be about sending Sasuke on a mission, even if it was a serious one.

"I didn't think the Hokage went on missions," Sasuke replied with a raised eyebrow. Naruto waved a hand at him.

"It's to Uzushiogakure. I'm meeting some builders who want to help construct a new village. Kakashi's coming with me, so the Old Hag will be in charge here."

"Am I coming with you as well, Hokage-sama?" Sasuke asked, and the formality made him cringe and remember that this was how he'd interacted with Naruto all those years they weren't close. He tried to relax, but Naruto still seemed strangely nervous.

"Uhhhmm, no," Naruto shook his head. "It's, um, the first time I'm leaving the village since…"

 _Since she died_ , Sasuke finished for him inside his head.

"I see," he said aloud. Naruto nodded, swallowing thickly.

"And, uh, Iruka is looking after Nori for most of the time—it's only 4 days! And Sakura said she would help out, but she's busy at the hospital, and Guy said he would watch Nori, but there's one day where Iruka and Sakura can't watch Nori, and I was, um, I was wondering, I mean, if it's too much trouble, I don't, um…"

Sasuke was shocked; he hadn't expected this. Naruto was asking him to watch Nori while he left the village for a mission—and he was nervous about it.

It hadn't been very long since they became real friends again. Things were still weird and uncomfortable some times; neither of them had mentioned _that night_ or why they'd spent over four years barely speaking. Naruto came over for dinner almost once a week and that was it. Sasuke still wasn't sure if Nori even _liked_ him.

"Are you sure, Naruto?" was the first thing he managed to say. He regretted it almost instantly because Naruto winced like he'd been hit.

"If you don't want to it's okay, Guy-sensei will be able to—"

"I'll do it," Sasuke affirmed quickly, nodding his head. Naruto's eyes widened and he slowly started smiling. "I have this week off anyway. Nori can spend time with… Muchi. He's been at my house much more often since you both started coming over."

"Really? Are you sure, Sasuke? If it's too much just let me—"

"I said I'd do it, didn't I?" Sasuke didn't know why his heart was beating so fast.

"Yeah… yeah! Thanks, Sasuke! I really didn't want to leave him with Guy-sensei. I'd come back and he'd have a bowl cut and a green jumpsuit and start shouting about youth every minute and I didn't want that to happen."

"Understandable."

"And you did say, the other day, you said," he looked at Sasuke from underneath his eyelashes, "you said if I needed anything to just ask."

Sasuke nodded. It wasn't really what Sasuke had been expecting, but he was glad Naruto trusted him so much with his son…

" _You're one of the only people I trust to bring him home safe."_

…though come to think of it, Naruto had always seemed to trust him with Nori.

* * *

When the date of Sasuke's first babysitting experience arrived he was already feeling queasy and wishing more than ever that Naruto had just asked him to go on the mission to Uzushiogakure with him instead of asking him to look after his one and only child—a child who still, it seemed, was too afraid of him to say more than two words around him.

He wished that Naruto had at least bestowed upon him the secret to winning Nori's affections, the mysterious thing he liked that everyone but him seemed clued in to.

" _Sakura is watching him the day before you are so you can just pick him up from her house. She'll tell you what to do, but there isn't that much you need to know. Nori's easy—he never whines or cries or anything!"_

So he was on his way to Sakura's house, trying not to panic about having to find some way to pass the next 24 hours with a child who barely speaks to him. It was going to be a long night.

He arrived at Sakura's house right at the time Naruto told him, once again not being bothered to knock. He shuffled the plastic bag he had in one hand behind his back; Sakura would only make fun of him if she knew he'd gone out and bought Nori a present. He already felt like he was trying too hard and he didn't need her laughter to confirm it.

He found the two of them when he went into the kitchen; Sakura was bent down and fastening a strap on a small backpack slung over Nori's shoulders. He was wearing his usual outfit, and orange jacket and pants with a green stripe in the middle and on the sides. The orange of his jacket wasn't as bright as Naruto's but Sasuke was sure he had been the one to pick it out. Underneath the jacket he wore a simple green t-shirt with a yin-yang symbol on the back.

"Ah, Sasuke, there you are," Sakura said, zipping Nori's jacket up all the way and pushing his bangs out of his face as he tried frantically to tug on the bottom of the jacket and look anywhere in the room except for Sasuke. She lifted his chin to look into his empty eyes—he wondered how long it had taken her to get used to them—and questioned gently,

"Ok Nori, you know you're going to be with Sasuke tonight, right?"

The child nodded almost imperceptibly. He looked like he would rather be with anyone else.

"Your dad told you to be good, didn't he?"

Nori nodded and Sasuke wished he could have heard what Naruto had said to his son about him. Naruto had seemed strangely nervous about asking Sasuke to watch the child.

Sasuke thought Sakura was finished and was about to turn to him and tell him anything he needed to know, like a bedtime or not to give Nori anything sweet before dinner or something, but she smiled at the boy and continued,

"Now, I know Sasuke is very scary and you don't know him very well because he's a stubborn jerk who wasn't around much before now, but I think you should give him a chance, okay?"

The child's eyes widened and he nodded slowly. Sasuke's mouth twisted into an annoyed scowl. He crossed his arms and waited impatiently, still trying to hide his present from Sakura.

"Promise?"

Another nod, more confident this time, and before Sasuke knew what was happening Sakura had lifted the child into the air, backpack and all, and was slinging him into Sasuke's arms. Both Nori and Sasuke were surprised but luckily Sasuke managed to catch the child before he dropped and Nori had enough sense to grab Sasuke's shoulders to steady himself before he toppled backwards from the weight of his pack.

"Sakura!" Sasuke hissed, unsure what to do with the stiff, blushing child in his arms. He wasn't very heavy, but Sasuke hadn't been prepared for being so close to the kid, to feel his warmth sinking through his clothes. He'd never noticed before, but the kid smelled like wind through the grass, and something sweet and warm that was so familiar Sasuke couldn't help but put a name to it.

 _He smells like Naruto_.

"Well, have a good night, guys!" Sakura beamed, practically pushing them towards the door. "Try to get him to sleep by 8, if you can. Don't let him talk you into telling a bedtime story because you'll be up for hours. He likes action movies and making funny faces and he gets distracted easily."

"Sakura, hold on—" Sasuke tried to slow her down but they were at the door. Nori's hands were holding tight to his shirt to keep from slipping. The present was almost falling out of his hand as he hoisted the boy up on the side of his hip to try and get more balance. Sakura wasn't listening to him.

"Ask _him_ if you want to know something. He usually answers pretty honestly. Oh, and on your way home you should probably go through the intersection just past the Academy."

"Why—"

"Have a good night!" she grinned, and closed the door in their faces.

They stood there for a moment until Sasuke managed to remember the child he was now responsible for in his arms and cleared his throat. He tried glancing down to make eye contact with the boy but Nori was determinedly looking towards the ground. Sasuke held back a sigh and muttered,

"I'm going to put you down for a minute, okay?"

The child hummed consent and nodded, and Sasuke carefully placed him on the ground. He straightened his shirt and stood on Sakura's doorstep feeling lost.

"Are you hungry?"

Nori, who had been pulling on the bottom of his jacket, paused and bit his lip before nodding his head once again. Sasuke sighed; at least it was something. Then, tiny and nervous, he heard,

"Not ramen?"

Sasuke's eyebrows rose and then he smiled, offering his hand for Nori to hold as they started walking. The child took it after a moment's hesitation and something warm spread through Sasuke's chest at the feeling of the small hand in his. He figured this was probably why people had children.

"Not ramen," he promised, and thought he saw a small smile form on Nori's face before he looked up to lead them on their way.

* * *

They ended up at a sushi bar around the corner from Sakura's house. It was small and quiet and they were seated at a booth in the corner.

When they ordered Nori pointed to what he wanted on the menu and the waiter fawned over him. Once he realized who Sasuke was he seemed surprised, like he would have heard about it if Uchiha Sasuke had a child, especially one with such distinct Hyuga features. The man didn't say anything, to which Sasuke was grateful, just took his order and went back to the bar leaving Sasuke in the awkward booth with a shy child sitting silently across from him.

He took a careful sip of the tea they'd brought and tried to think of something, anything that would break the silence. He remembered his gift as he was fiddling with it in the seat next to him.

"I," he started carefully, wincing when the sound of his voice made Nori jump. "I got you something."

He handed over the bag and Nori gingerly took it, though to Sasuke it seemed like he only did because he'd been trained with good manners. The child opened it up timidly, slowly reaching in and pulling out the stuffed cat that Sasuke had bought at a convenience store earlier that day. He'd been passing it and saw the stuffed animals in the window. He was reminded of what Naruto had said about the stuffed frog that Nori didn't like. He found a black cat and bought it and as soon as he left the store the anxiety kicked in about whether or not Nori would even like it.

That anxiety had come back as soon as he'd handed over the bag, and he held his breath as Nori stared blankly at the cat and continued to say nothing.

"I heard you didn't like frogs," he added, to fill the silence. Nori blinked up at him quickly, and then turned back to the cat.

Then, much to Sasuke's surprise, his face turned red and he hid it by hugging the cat close and murmuring through the black fur,

"T—tank you."

Sasuke felt warm and had to look away.

"Don't mention it," he replied, and took a sip of tea. At least Nori seemed to like the gift.

The food arrived quickly and Nori set the cat on his lap to eat. As they ate, Sasuke noticed for the first time something Sakura had mentioned.

" _He gets distracted easily."_

One moment he would be eating his food and the next he was looking around at something, shaking his head and making a face. When he caught Sasuke watching him he snapped his attention back to his food, but he would look away again in a moment, seemingly distracted by something Sasuke couldn't even see. He wondered if it was something all 3 and half years olds did or was specific to the one in front of him.

The silence of the meal was tempting to drive Sasuke insane, as Nori continued to be too shy or afraid to actually say anything to Sasuke aside from thanking him for the present. Usually a silent meal would be Sasuke preference, but somehow with Nori sitting just across from him it seemed too quiet, like they were both just holding their breath to get through it. He couldn't stand it.

"I'm glad you like sushi," he said, and though Nori seemed surprised to hear him suddenly speaking, he didn't jump like the last time. Sasuke took it as a good sign and continued, though it felt strange and stinted for him to be the one trying to start conversation instead of someone—anyone—else.

"Sakura and Naru—your Dad," he correctly easily. It was still strange to think about Naruto as a _Dad_ , even with his child sitting across from him. "They didn't like sushi when we were young. Naruto always talked everyone into going to Ichiraku."

He glanced at Nori and for a moment he had an expression that made it seem like he wanted to ask a question, but he held it in and looked down at his food instead. Sasuke didn't give up.

"I think that cat—" and paused and corrected himself again. "Muchi. I think Muchi has been looking for you lately."

That peaked the child's curiosity, and he held onto the cat plush with one hand and his food in another.

"He used to only come by every few weeks but lately he's been at my house almost every day. I think he likes you."

Still no reply, but Nori smiled slightly as he chewed. Sasuke almost felt like he was getting somewhere.

And so the meal went by and Sasuke continued talking, about he cat and about food and about Naruto. It was probably the most he had talked in years. At some point he didn't even mind that Nori didn't say anything back—his small smiles and surprised expressions were enough. By the time they paid and were walking out Sasuke was tired and his mouth felt overworked, but he thought it had gone okay. If he was honest, it had been better than he expected. Maybe he could learnt o get along with Naruto's son despite the child never talking to him after all.

They started towards Sasuke's house and Nori's hand was in his again, the other one clasped tight around the stuffed cat. They reached an a fork in the road and something about it reminded Sasuke of something else Sakura had said as she was pushing them out of the door.

_Oh, and on your way home you should probably go through the intersection just past the Academy."_

He paused, trying to reason why she would have hinted something as specific as which way they should go home. He didn't overthink it—Sakura was acting strange earlier anyway—but they veered to the left at the fork, the way that took them past the Academy.

Just past the Academy was an intersection with a few shops and restaurants. It was probably what Sakura had been referring to. Sasuke wasn't paying much attention as they moved through the semi-crowded streets and made their way through the shops. He would have kept going through all of them without a second thought until the hand holding onto his squeezed suddenly very tight and Nori slowed down almost to a stop.

Sasuke frowned and stopped along with him, turning to see what had caught the young boys attention. He found Nori frozen and staring with rapt attention off at one of the shops on the other side of the road. Sasuke followed his gaze and read the sign the same moment a hushed whisper came up from the child beside him,

" _Mochi_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno if you noticed but this chapter is _long_. That's why it took me a while to finish. Also, sorry for focussing a lot on Nori, I know he's an OC and everything, but I wanted to get him to bond with Sasuke before the real SasuNaru stuff started happening. Hint: Nori is going to start really talking next chapter and he has a lot to say!
> 
> I have the next chapter wayyy more planned out than this one so it should come sooner. Thanks to everyone who's commented and followed the story!


	5. Friends

The sign was hand-painted and illuminated by two hanging lanterns on either side. It read:

_Mimis' Ice Cream Mochi!_

Sasuke turned back to the child holding onto his hand in a vice-grip. There was no doubt where his eyes were staring.

Sasuke had never noticed that particular establishment before—most likely because he didn't care for ice cream and had no reason to notice a place that served it. But Nori was enthralled. This was most likely the reason Sakura had wanted them to go a certain way home. Sasuke was grateful that she had finally decided to give him a hint towards the thing Nori liked, though why she couldn't have just told him he didn't know.

"Do you want some ice cream?" Sasuke asked gently. He'd never seen Nori act the way he was; it was no wonder everyone used this to sway him.

"Mochi," the child replied, nodding. Sasuke had never heard of mochi and ice cream together but it didn't matter. They made their way over to front of the shop. Nori was having a hard time keeping still, his hand practically vibrating in Sasuke's as they entered the building. Sasuke couldn't deny that there was something adorable about Nori's reactions.

The shop was very small, quaint. It must have been a few years old but the paint job inside was bubbly and cute with no signs of wear on any walls. It had no room for sitting inside, just enough to stand and order at the counter. The register was at one end and two older women were behind the counter ready to take orders. As soon as he and Nori walked in they both smiled wide and waved at the Hokage's young son.

"Look Mimi, it's our favorite customer!" The woman on the left said to her companion. The other woman responded quickly, and just as cheerfully,

"Oh, Mimi, I never get tired of seeing our Nori. Back again so soon, little sun?"

Sasuke smiled at the nickname, and let go of Nori's hand so he could race up to the glass and press his hands against it, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Mimi!" Nori piped at the first woman and then turned to the other and repeated, "Mimi!"

Sasuke was beginning to suspect the women were both named Mimi, which would explain the odd typo on the sign. One was tall and had short grey hair and the other was short and round, with long purple hair in a bun on top of her head. They clearly knew Nori very well, which didn't surprise Sasuke much. If Nori visited _Mimis' Mochi_ anywhere near as often as Naruto did Ichiraku then the two old ladies may as well be family. He seemed almost as excited to see them as he was about his treat.

The second Mimi with the purple bun glanced up and noticed Sasuke, failing to hide the surprise on her face as she did. She elbowed the first Mimi who made the same expression when she looked up at Sasuke. They smiled at the same time.

"And you've brought someone new today, haven't you, little sun? Who is your friend?"

Sasuke was expected the stuttered, mumbling answer Nori usually gave whenever he was around Sasuke and was taken completely by surprise when Nori answered easily,

"That's Sasuke. He's a strong ninja and he's watching me because Dad is out of town and Sakura is busy and Iruka is busy and even Uncle Neji is busy."

Sasuke blinked, staring down at the child in front of him to make sure he hadn't lost the real Nori and this was some strange replacement who somehow wasn't afraid of talking in front of him.

"Well we know what mochi you want, little sun," the first Mimi grinned, "but what flavor does your new friend want?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to decline the offer but Nori surprised him again, turning around and settling his white eyes on Sasuke, asking clearly,

"What favor do you want? My favorite is geen tea but they have mango and chocolate and cookie ceam and bean and stawberry, too."

He stared at Sasuke expectantly, but Sasuke was so caught up in the fact that Nori was finally talking to him he had barely paid any attention. His chest felt tight and he blinked a few times before finally gathering himself enough to answer,

"…Green tea is fine…"

Both Mimi's smiled and moved at the same time, reaching into some coolers they had behind the counter and pulling out two green balls, just big enough to fit into Nori's small palms. Sasuke took his with a small bow in thanks to the taller Mimi who had given it to him. He started to pull out his wallet but the second Mimi stopped him quickly.

"No, no! Our Hokage's little sun always comes to our shop no charge. Please come again, Uchiha-san."

Nori was already waving goodbye and heading out the door when Sasuke noticed and followed him out. He was still trying to work out what had just happened. All through dinner Nori wouldn't say a word and yet in the mochi shop he'd spoken like it was no big deal. Had Sasuke really been panicking all this time for nothing?

He stared at the back of Nori's blond head as the shop door closed behind him. The boy was walking and happily eating his treat. It took Sasuke a lot longer than it should have to notice how cold his hand was. He looked down and remembered the mochi ice cream treat he'd been surprised into getting. He carefully took a small bite out of the side, pulling on the stretchy mochi layer and biting off a bit of the green tea ice cream on the inside. It tasted all right, but Sasuke wasn't nearly as interested in it as he was in the child walking in front of him. He wondered if Nori had only spoken so easily because he was excited to be getting his favorite food or if he would keep talking to Sasuke now that they were back on the road and it was only them again.

He watched as Nori quickly finished off the last of his mochi and licked his fingers clean of the sticky paste and ice cream. Once he was finished he turned back to Sasuke, eyes widened when he noticed how little of the ice cream Sasuke had eaten.

"You didn't finish yours!" he said, pointing, voice high and clear like a bird.

It still took Sasuke some time to believe it was really Nori who was pointing at him, but then he looked closer and saw the blush tinting the boys cheeks and the way his other hand was pulling on the bottom of his jacket absentmindedly. He smiled faintly and motioned to a nearby bench they were passing.

"You can have the rest and we can sit here while you finish so you don't have to walk and eat at the same time."

Nori's eyes widened as Sasuke handed him the snack—he looked as though he'd never gotten a better gift in the whole world. The bench was just a tad too high for Nori and Sasuke had to help him onto it. The black cat doll Sasuke had given him was settled in the child's lap as he ate the rest of Sasuke's mochi. Sasuke sat down beside him and took the time to watch the joyous expressions that crossed over the boy's face as he ate. He had never seen him look so happy.

"Why didn't you eat it?" Nori asked between bites, surprising Sasuke once again. He still wasn't expecting the sudden shift. He really liked hearing Nori's voice.

"I don't really like sweets," he answered truthfully. Nori frowned and took another bite. Once he had chewed it he asked,

"What do you like?"

" _I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike a lot of things and I don't have many things that I like._ "

"…I like fighting. And reading, sometimes."

The answer seemed to please the boy. He grinned and licked his fingers—Sasuke couldn't believe he ate the whole mochi that quickly.

"Dad likes fighting too!" he said. "Him and Uncle Neji fight sometimes."

Sasuke frowned but tried not to let Nori see. Something bothered him about the idea of Naruto and Neji sparring. He and Naruto used to spar and bicker and wrestle so often he felt like—

 _He isn't_ yours _, idiot. He can spar with whomever he wants_. The thoughts came without provocation, but it was true anyway. _You weren't around—he was bound to find someone new to fight with._

"You know," he said slowly, capturing Nori's attention easily, "Your Dad and I used to fight a lot."

"Really?" he asked, face scrunched up like he was trying to remember it. "When?"

"It was…" _A long time ago, in a different life when things were still good_ , "…before you were born."

"Oh," the boy replied, fidgeting with the bottom of his jacket. It was starting to get loose threads hanging off; Hinata probably would have sewn it back to brand-new herself. She was surely that kind of wife.

Nori seemed to be thinking something over very hard. He glanced at Sasuke and then away several times, suddenly shy again. Finally he asked quietly,

"You and my Dad were best fends?"

Sasuke's heart jumped to his throat.

"What makes you say that?"

Nori shrugged, staring at the ground. He was quiet for a long time, so long Sasuke wondered if he should start them on their way home, but he waited instead because it seemed to him that Nori had something more to say. Finally the boy exhaled and curled his shoulders up around his ears, muttering low,

"Momma said you were best fends a long time ago."

Sasuke's heart stopped. It was bad enough that he'd made Nori think about his dead mother, but the idea that she had talked about him to Nori before she'd died—that she had made sure to tell him that Sasuke and his father had been best friends. It was more than Sasuke could stand. No matter how he tried he couldn't bring himself to hate Hinata Hyuga: and that only made everything so much worse.

He sighed deeply and stared back towards the mochi shop.

"She was right. We were best friends."

_Best friends and nothing more, because he fell in love with her and not me—and I can't even blame him._

* * *

They made their way back to Sasuke's apartment, Nori chatting the whole way. It was surreal, like something out of someone else's life. He kept wanting to ask Nori what had changed—why he had suddenly decided to start talking around Sasuke—but he didn't want to push his luck. He was curious, but he was more content to stay in the comfortable zone he was in now.

He made a mental note to take Nori for mochi any time he was with him. Some strange part of him he had never noticed before hoped very much that he would be spending more time with the child.

Nori was delightful. Though his voice was softer he spoke with passion. His thoughts were scattered and jumbled but the ideas were clear and well thought-out. He didn't try to use words he didn't understand, but he understood many things that surprised Sasuke. He was still easily distracted, as Sakura had said, but he came back to himself quickly enough, even if Sasuke just murmured his name very softly. He would blush and pull at his jacket but continued with what he'd been saying before he got distracted in the first place.

It was expected, but Nori was very much not sleepy when they arrived at Sasuke's apartment around 7 in the evening. Certainly he looked tired, as he always did whenever Sasuke saw him, but he had a stubborn streak he must have inherited from his father that made him pout and shake his head when Sasuke asked him if he was ready for bed.

The cat was waiting for them as soon as they walked through the door.

"Muchi!" Nori chimed, and the cat replied with a long meow.

Sasuke frowned. He had sworn he shut his window before he left; how had the cat possibly gotten in?

"Do you want to feed him?" he asked, holding out the bag of cat food in question. Nori's expression lit up and he nodded—the image reminded him very much of Naruto. He let the boy pour the food into the small bowl he'd set aside for the intrusive animal. He poured a good deal more than Sasuke usually gave but he didn't say anything. As the cat ate the food Nori carefully pet gentle lines down his back; the stuffed cat Sasuke had given him was clutched in his other hand.

The cat flinched when Nori pet somewhere on it's left leg and Sasuke frowned.

"Tch," he exclaimed as Nori looked up at him curiously. "Another wound."

Every time the cat came by he had another one. Some were worse than others; the worst was probably the time he came in and a whole chunk of his ear was missing. The cat didn't even seem to notice it but the bleeding had bothered Sasuke enough that he held the cat down and carefully washed and dried the wound so it healed more cleanly. He kept a special clothe just for washing the cat's wounds and he stepped into the kitchen to retrieve it, coming back and motioning for Nori to hold the beast still as he patted the sensitive spot on its leg. When he pulled the cloth back there wasn't any blood, but some dirt came off and it was clear the wound was uncomfortable. Nori was staring intently at the cat, eyebrows furrowed in worried concentration.

"He gets into a lot of fights but he never tarts them."

"Oh really?" Sasuke asked, smiling faintly at the intensity with which Nori was watching as Sasuke tended to the injury.

The young boy nodded seriously.

"He's potecting the other cats. Like Dad does."

"Is he the cat Hokage?"

Another serious nod and Sasuke couldn't help but think that Nori was unfairly cute. When he and Naruto were together it was almost too much. Sasuke finished cleaning the wound but the cat was settled comfortably in Nori's lap and didn't seem to want to move.

"He uses his tail to fight! Like a whip!" Nori made whip motions with _Muchi's_ long black tail. The cat didn't bat an eye.

"If he's the… catkage—" Sasuke couldn't believe he had just said that, "—shouldn't he be off leading the cat village? What is he doing lying around my house?"

"He likes you," Nori replied with an easy shrug, blissfully unaware of how the simple statement sent Sasuke's heart racing.

 _He means the cat, not Naruto_ , he told himself. And yet he couldn't help but feel the warm flame of hope burning steady in his chest.

It was the first time a child had come to like Sasuke and he was glad somehow that it was Naruto's son. It made him feel closer to Naruto because Nori was a part of Naruto and always would be.

His face fell to a scowl. _Part of her, too,_ he thought. _And always will be._

He saw the cat—Muchi—yawn from the corner of his eye and half a second later Nori was mimicking him, opening his mouth wide in a drawn-out yawn. His eyes and shoulders were drooping but Sasuke could tell he was still determined to stay awake. It seemed that though his body wanted and needed the sleep, Nori was the one deciding to stay up.

"Are you sure you aren't ready for bed?" he asked.

Nori shook his head, eyes widening. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and repeated,

"Are you sure?"

Nori's second headshake was interrupted by another sudden yawn. Sasuke grinned at the blush and way Nori looked shyly away, avoiding his gaze.

"Why don't you want to sleep?"

He wasn't sure the child was going to reply at first, he had buried his face in Muchi's fur with his determination to avoid Sasuke's knowing smile. But after a moment of quiet he mumbled through the fuzz,

"My fends keep me up."

"Your friends?" Sasuke frowned. Had he heard Nori say something about his friends before?

Big white eyes looked up at him, confused.

"You know," he replied, voice tiny and uncertain. He seemed nervous, pulling on the bottom of his jacket and hugging Muchi tight to his chest. He seemed more like the Nori Sasuke knew, the one who avoided his gaze and wouldn't say a thing to him.

"I know your friends?" Sasuke asked, trying not to make the blond more nervous than he was. Nori nodded.

In a second it clicked.

The beasts: they were still in Nori's head. No wonder he was having trouble sleeping.

He activated his sharingan and Nori gasped.

" _Scary eyes!"_ he whispered and Sasuke flinched.

"Sorry…" he muttered, looking down. He didn't want to scare Nori into disliking him again.

"No!" Nori exclaimed, and Sasuke glanced up to see Nori's very serious face, eyebrows furrowed as he stared into Sasuke's red eyes. "Scary eyes are cool!"

"Cool?" Sasuke huffed, relieved.

"Yeah! Nobody has eyes like you!"

_Well, that's true…_

"May I?" He asked, to be polite. He couldn't get Nori's permission to go inside his head the last time but he felt bad forcing his way in. It felt like the old days, when he didn't care what he did or how it hurt other people.

Nori seemed to understand what he was asking and he nodded and closed his eyes. Sasuke smiled.

"You have to open your eyes," he said gently, and Nori blushed and opened them. In the next moment he was inside Nori's head again, with child standing beside him this time as the beasts around them all stared.

He glared at them—angry that they were causing Nori's insomnia—then felt a warm hand slide into his. He looked down in surprise to find Nori staring around him and his hand clasped lightly in Sasuke's.

"Uchiha again? Well I'll be damned!" It was the one tail speaking, the same beast that had insisted on killing whoever harmed Naruto's son, Sasuke remembered. Also the same monster that had been sealed inside Gaara and was responsible for turning him into the murderer he'd been in their chunin exams. Sasuke couldn't imagine what having a creature like him inside a child's mind would do.

"What have I said about cursing in front of Nori?" The six-tails admonished, shaking it's strangely gelatinous head.

"What is that red-eyed psycho doing here anyway?" the four-tails asked, leaning in and inspecting Sasuke closely.

"He's my fend!" Nori answered, calling up loudly to the figures around them. "Don't be mean!"

"I thought _we_ were your friends, Aonori," the three-tails joked in a voice similar to Nori's, soft and small.

"You are my fends, Iso! But Sasuke is too!"

Nori had said Sasuke's name aloud in the mochi shop but Sasuke hadn't been paying enough attention that time to notice how he'd pronounced it. He still wasn't used to hearing Nori's voice and hearing Nori say his name in his chipper little chirp was undeniably cute. He said it very carefully, enunciating the "ke" more firmly, like it was something he'd had to practice to get right.

"Sasuke," Nori said, as if on cue, and Sasuke turned to look at him expectantly. The boy smiled up at him and, once he knew he had the man's attention, continued, "these are my fends.

"Shu," he motioned to the one tail, who sneered in reply.

"Mata," the two tail, who bowed its head gracefully.

"Iso," the three tail, who nodded.

"Go," the four tail, still staring at Sasuke suspiciously.

"Ko," the five tail seemed to grin kindly at Nori.

"Ken," the six tail made no move.

"Cho," the seven tail nodded it's horned head vigorously

"Gyu," the eight tail tilted it's head at Sasuke, and Sasuke remembered suddenly the time he'd been sent to capture said beast. He hoped Nori never found out about that.

"Ku," he said, a little out of breath as he'd finally gotten to the ninth beast, the fox, who leered at Sasuke like he knew something Sasuke didn't. It wasn't an expression Sasuke liked to see very often.

"You gave them nicknames," he realized, looking back down at Nori. The boy nodded, grinning. He was certainly his father's son.

"I didn't know they were here afore. And I was scared of them until you showed me that they weren't scary."

"I did?" Sasuke asked. He didn't remember anything like that. He'd just come in and yelled at them all for letting their powers get so out of control.

Nori nodded.

"Now they're my fends! But they talk a lot sometimes. It's hard to ignore them."

"Is that why you haven't been sleeping?" Sasuke asked harshly, already preparing to use whatever power he had to shut down the beasts communication with the boy inside his head. But Nori's eyes widened and before he could answer the fox answered for him,

"We're not the ones keeping him up. Kid, did you tell the Uchiha we were keeping you awake?"

Nori looked away shyly, apparently caught in his lie. The fox shook his head and Sasuke frowned up at him.

"Why hasn't he been sleeping then? Whatever it is, it has to stop. He's exhausted. It's not good for him."

"No shit," the fox snarled. "We're with him all the time—we know it's not good. It's the nightmares, though. He can't get into a deep enough sleep without the nightmares waking him up again."

Sasuke understood then. Kakashi had confirmed his initials fears and now the beasts were telling him what he'd expected all along: Nori couldn't stop thinking about his mother's death. It wasn't as though Sasuke didn't understand. He'd relived his own parent's death in his mind more times than he could count. He'd had trouble sleeping, too, just after the massacre. In the end some medic nin had drugged him for his own good and he slept two days through. After that he trained himself to sleep at least halfway through the night. The nightmares never really went away; he just got better at ignoring them.

He didn't want the same thing for Nori. There had to be a better way.

"Cant any of you do something?"

"We've tried," the eight tails replied flatly. Sasuke sighed.

"You could help, you know," the nine tailed fox grinned his way. He shifted his gaze into those big, sharp eyes, hating how much the fox seemed to know about him.

"Sasuke, it's okay, I'm not sleepy," Nori said, something scared and panicked in his eyes. He didn't want to sleep—he knew that sleeping meant dreams. He was really very small, just on the edge of being a kid. He was still practically a toddler. Children need sleep. _Everyone_ needs sleep.

"I know you're sleepy, Nori," Sasuke explained, leaning down so he could talk to the child eye to eye.

"I'm not! I don't _wanna_ sleep!" He was on the verge of a real panic, his lower lip trembling and his face turning red.

"What if I told you I could help you sleep with no dreams?"

The boy was silent for a moment and then came the whisper soft question of,

"Really? No—no m—" he stopped himself, frightened, unable to go on. Though he didn't seem to realize he was doing it, Nori was calling up images in his mind, and since Sasuke was there as well he was getting glimpses. Rain and hands holding onto him and her voice calling his name and mud, so much mud, all over everything and everyone, in her hair and—

"No bad dreams," Sasuke promised, calling the child back from his own memories. Sasuke couldn't even bring himself to see those images and he had probably seen worse.

He cupped one hand gently to the side of Nori's face. His skin was soft and pale; cold, like the memories had sent him back there, back to that place. Sasuke would do whatever he could to help Nori escape those memories.

"Look into my eyes, okay?" Sasuke muttered gently, aware of the array of beasts still surrounding them and watching everything he did. He knew for a fact they would do anything to protect Nori, but he was confident that he would not be the one putting Nori in danger.

"Your scary eyes?" Nori asked.

"Yes," Sasuke smiled faintly, "my scary eyes."

Nori did as he was told and Sasuke concentrated enough chakra for a simple sleep genjutsu. Nori was out like a light. He would have no bad dreams this time.

As soon as he was sure Nori was asleep he turned to the beasts.

"I have some questions," he stated flatly.

The fox laughed the dark, chuckling laugh he always had. It was clear he was the leader of the chakra monsters.

"How long have you been inside his head?"

"We each gave him a part of our chakra when he turned one."

"Why?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.

"We wanted to protect him," the two tails replied.

The others nodded their agreement.

"Does Naruto know about this?" Sasuke asked the question he was most curious about. Surely Naruto, the caretaker of all the beasts, knew that his son was carrying their chakras. It had probably been his idea; of course a father would do whatever he could to protect his son.

But when he looked around at the faces of the monsters the answer seemed pretty clear: Naruto had no idea.

"He doesn't know?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The fox wasn't looking so certain anymore, avoiding Sasuke's gaze and scratching one of his ears with a large clawed hand.

"We—we never told him," one of the beasts said, Sasuke didn't even know which.

"Don't you think he should know?"

"Yes, he should," the fox agreed. "You should tell him."

Sasuke exhaled deeply, uncomfortable under the gazes of all the beasts. More than just the fox were leering at him slyly now and he didn't appreciate it. Something about this felt wrong, settled badly in his gut.

"Nori does not belong to me," he said through clenched teeth. "This is not my problem."

"You didn't feel that way about his sleeping habits."

"It's different," he grunted, already readying himself to get out of the child's head. He would leave the beasts their free rein for now, but if it seemed like they were doing more harm than good to Nori he would find a way to seal them off more fully—back to whatever way they'd been before Nori's capture and panic released them.

It _was_ different, though. He wasn't heartless, couldn't ignore the child when his physical and mental health were in question, but that didn't mean he was a part of Nori's life. He was just watching the child as a favor for Naruto until he came back, that was all.

That was all he would ever be.

"Tell Naruto yourselves."

* * *

Sasuke was sure to wake before Nori this time. He was sure it wasn't good babysitter etiquette to leave a child unsupervised in order to sleep in a few extra minutes. He already had a modest breakfast of oatmeal and fruit ready when Nori appeared in the kitchen doorway rubbing his eyes and yawning wide.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. He was confident that the genjutsu worked but it couldn't hurt to ask anyway.

"Yeah!" Nori nodded several times, clambering into a chair to sit at the kitchen table.

"No bad dreams?"

Nori shook his head.

"I had a dream about Muchi! He was a—a, ummm… a fighter cat? With amor! He beat the bad rats. He was protecting me."

"Really?" Sasuke smiled. He already knew the contents of Nori's dream; he'd made sure to add it as part of the genjutsu. It was nice that Nori seemed to like it.

They ate breakfast in relative silence. Sasuke still had a lot to learn about Nori and children in general. Nori tasted his oatmeal and made a face. Sasuke took that as a hint and added a spoonful of brown sugar to make it more palatable for a child with picky tastes. He couldn't peel his orange on his own and shyly asked Sasuke to help him. Even though he ate slowly and more carefully than Sasuke would have expected a child his age to eat he still wound up with a messy, juicy-covered face.

Sasuke found it oddly endearing. He couldn't help but imagine Naruto cleaning up his son after breakfast and his chest felt tight from the very idea. There was something about the idea of Naruto in a fathering role that affected Sasuke every time he considered it. He wasn't sure where those feelings came from but he didn't appreciate them. It only made everything that much harder.

By the time he had cleaned up breakfast and gotten Nori washed and dressed it was almost noon. He entered the living room to find Nori entertaining the cat with a piece of string.

"Your dad should be back in the village soon. I'm sure he will want to come pick you up first thing."

Sasuke was somewhat grateful the time had passed so quickly. He felt like he was just about running out of things to do with an untalkative three and a half year old.

He thought about the story Nori had told him the night before about the cat Hokage. He'd been surprised; it never occurred to him that children had imaginations so broad. It seemed like most of them just wanted to eat and run around screaming all the time. It was especially surprising given that Nori was _Naruto's_ child. Sasuke kept waiting for him to turn into the same kind of troublemaker his father was but it didn't seem likely. Nori was mild-tempered and sweet—probably more than even Sasuke was at his age.

Then again, Nori was an only child and had two loving parents for most of his life. There was no need for him to try so hard to get attention; he probably always had more than enough to go around.

"Oi, Sasuke! Nori!" Sasuke heard Naruto's voice from the front door. He hadn't bothered to knock; it was surprising to think about how close all of team seven was that none of them even bother to knock anymore, especially after everything that'd happened between them.

"Dad!" Nori cheered, hopping down from the couch to rush to the door. Sasuke smiled involuntarily, holding back a moment longer before following after the boy, hoping he would miss their initial reunion—it was sure to be painfully heartwarming.

Still when he peeked around the corner the sight that met him made his chest ache for something he never thought he wanted. Naruto had Nori balanced easily on his hip, grinning like the idiot he was and staring at his son like he was the reason the world turned. When he realized Sasuke was there he looked up with that same grin.

Sasuke couldn't believe it had been so long since he'd seen that expression directed towards him. How had he ever given it up? It seemed impossible now.

His memory focused, reminding him of the pain he'd been in when Naruto had announced he was marrying Hinata. Reminding him of the sudden desolation the moment Naruto told him that kiss had been one big mistake, just a drunken misunderstanding.

"Thanks for watching him, Sasuke! I owe you one!"

"No problem," he replied, trying not to drown in the past.

"Did you have fun, Aonori?" Naruto asked, his son still held easily on the edge of his hip. He didn't seem as tired as he had when he left, somehow. The mission must have gone well.

"Yeah! Yeah! Sasuke took me to get mochi!"

"Really? You must have been happy," Naruto teased. Nori nodded seriously. Sasuke was still glad he'd finally been given the secret to Nori's affection: some rice covered ice cream. If only it was that easy to win over everyone who didn't like him—not that he really cared about anyone else liking him.

"Yeah!" Nori continued, his small hands holding onto Naruto's jacket to keep his balance as he spoke up to his father's face. "And he didn't eat his because he doesn't like seets so I got to eat _two_ mochis!"

Naruto laughed, shaking his head. His good mood was infectious.

"Two mochis?" he said, laughing, "just wait until your Mom hears that you—"

Sasuke felt his heartbeat stop.

All of the air had been transported from the room leaving nothing but a choking vacuum in it's place. Sasuke's eyes found Naruto, frozen with his son on his hip, eyes wide and mouth half-open with the unfinished words he'd spoken.

"Naruto—" Sasuke started, hurting as if Naruto's pain were his own.

"Dad?" Nori asked in that birdsong-soft voice, tilting his head curiously. "Hey Dad, when is Mom coming back, anyway?"


	6. I Can't Do It!

**"Dad?" Nori asked in that birdsong-soft voice, tilting his head curiously. "Hey Dad, when is Mom coming back, anyway?"**

CHAPTER 6: I Can't Do It

And then Sasuke felt his heart break.

Not from the words Nori uttered, though they themselves reminded Sasuke so much of himself he almost couldn't bear it; because of the look on Naruto's face. His son's innocent question was like being cut with a dull blade, slowly in the most agonizing way possible. And Sasuke could do nothing but stand there and watch as Naruto's happiness drained from his eyes and he moved his mouth pointlessly, unable to speak as his son stared up at him, helpless and confused.

"I—she's," Naruto began, his voice like dust. A sob broke from his chest and it seemed to crush what little life was left in Sasuke. He couldn't stand to see Naruto in so much pain but he couldn't think of what to do. He was no help to him. He was useless, he was nothing.

"She—we talked about this, Nori, she's—I—"

"Naruto."

Sasuke was amazed at how calm his voice sounded but grateful that it was. He knew he would have to stay calm if he was to do anything to help Naruto now. The blond's chest was heaving, his eyes wide and shining, panic written in every line of his body when he turned at the sound of Sasuke's voice. It seemed to shake him partly out of the state he'd been in. He carefully let Nori down to the floor, eyes locked on Sasuke.

Sasuke reached out to him, not to take his hand to lead him but to show him that he was there.

"Nori, I need to talk to your dad alone for a minute, okay?" he said, voice somehow still even, still calm. It even seemed to calm Nori when he spoke to him as the child's confusion dimmed and he nodded. "Don't worry it's just a grown up conversation. Muchi should still be in the living room, you should go play with him."

Another nod and Nori went on his way. Sasuke let Naruto decide where he went, following him as the hokage made his way into the kitchen, walking like a man half-dead. He collapsed to the floor the moment Sasuke shut the door behind them.

" _What am I doing?"_

"Naruto, that wasn't your fault," Sasuke began, uncertain and just as lost as Naruto seemed to be. He didn't know what he was doing either but since he wasn't the one sobbing on the floor in the middle of a panic attack it was up to him to help the man who was.

"He's too young to realize what happened. You just forgot, that's all."

"How could I say that? H—how could I _forget_ —?"

"She's only been gone for two months," Sasuke told him, maintaining his calm. He tried to imagine how Itachi would be in this moment, cool and collected. Even Kakashi was skilled in handling intense situations like this, never letting himself be caught up in the emotional aspects. Sasuke had to be like that for Naruto. He could tell instinctually that was what Naruto needed.

Naruto pulled on the collar of his shirt, hand fisting into the fabric as he struggled to maintain steady breath. Sasuke saw the way his chest heaved, inconsistent shallow breaths trying to reach his lungs. He wasn't worried about Naruto's safety but the image bothered him nonetheless. He didn't like to see Naruto in pain; he never ever had, not once. The blond sobbed, folding over and resting his head against the tile.

"For a minute everything just felt… right. I forgot. I forgot. I—"

"It's not your fault," Sasuke repeated. It was what Naruto needed to hear. But he wasn't sure the blond even heard him; he was still too trapped in his own head, berating himself for his simple mistake.

"—Nori was there and happy to see me and my mission went so well and then you were there smiling and Nori was talking to you and I just thought everything was finally the way it was always supposed to be, my son and my best friend and my wife and—"

Sasuke saw the image so clearly in his mind it might as well have been his own daydream: Naruto in his Hokage robes with Hinata standing just beside him holding their son… and Sasuke by his side, smiling with them as if nothing ever happened between them. It was Naruto's perfect life and as much as it hurt to imagine, as much as Sasuke knew it never could have been that way, something inside him wished Naruto could have had that. If anyone deserved to be that happy it was Naruto.

There was nothing he could say to that, so he stood there quietly in his kitchen and let Naruto break down. It seemed to be the only thing he could do and he was grateful that he could do even that.

They stayed that way for several minutes until Naruto finally sat up, face puffy and red and sad. He sighed, shoulder's bunched and expression beaten down and sorry.

"Sasuke," he said. "I'm falling apart."

"I know," Sasuke replied, unrepentantly blunt. Naruto flinched as though hit but he didn't respond angry.

"I can't fall apart. I'm supposed to be the one who keeps everything together! I'm the Hokage, I'm the leader of the village and I'm a—I'm a father. What's Nori supposed to do if his own stupid dad can't even keep it together? I _can't_ fall apart."

"I think you have to fall apart," was Sasuke's only answer. He wanted so badly to be there for Naruto, to be the reason Naruto smiled for once. He wanted to be able to give Naruto the life he thought for a moment he had before he realized that it had been stripped away but he couldn't have even ever given Naruto that much because he had stupidly gone and fallen in love with him and ruined everything before it even began. The least he could do was sit and listen to Naruto's problems and try to help the only way he knew how.

It was just like when Naruto had opened up about his wife's passing and the feelings of anger he had at the world; he opened up to Sasuke about his insecurities, he allowed himself to _feel_ in front of Sasuke, to trust that Sasuke wouldn't judge him or criticize his thoughts.

It was the first time Sasuke had ever really seen Naruto this way.

Maybe it was just because of all the years they spent as rivals but even in the short time they'd had as friends before _that night_ , when Sasuke was in the village and he and Naruto reformed and strengthened the bond they'd always had, Naruto hadn't been as open with his emotions as he was now. Sasuke could understand why, since he would have never shown his true emotions in front of Naruto back then either. They were still in competition somehow, though there wasn't really anything left for them to be competing over. Sasuke never wanted to appear weak in front of Naruto; he didn't want to lose his respect and he knew Naruto must have felt the same way.

And yet their years apart changed something somehow. Naruto's trust in him was implicit though undeserved and Sasuke knew that if things were different, if he were the one hurting, he would feel just as comfortable expressing himself to Naruto as Naruto felt crying in front of him.

Perhaps it was just the intensity of the situation or maybe Naruto just didn't feel like he had anyone else, but Sasuke chose to believe Naruto was looking up at him that way because he trusted Sasuke to be there for him.

Sasuke wanted to be there for Naruto but he was conflicted. At the same time he wanted to wrap Naruto in a warm blanket and keep him safe so nothing bad happened to him again, he also wanted to hit him and tell him to grow up because the world wasn't fair, they were proof of that. And even though the second option seemed harsh he knew Naruto would just smile softly and nod. He was more accustomed to the harsh realities of life than any coddling Sasuke could give him so the choice was simple.

"You have to feel like you're falling apart or you won't be able to get back up and put yourself back together."

Naruto looked up at him and Sasuke expected him to make some joke about Sasuke's motivational speaker personality again but he just kept looking sad and lost and asked,

"Is that what you had to do?"

It hit Sasuke hard because yes, it was. But it was more than that, too. It was Naruto.

"I had some help. Someone knocked some sense into me before I fell too far. I could do the same for you if you want?"

He made a show of cracking his knuckles and flexing his arm. It barely got a smile, but even that was worth it.

"I don't think I need that, but thanks for offering to kick my ass," Naruto huffed. "I mean it though, Sasuke. I always thought if I could just get you to come back to the village I could do anything but I don't think I can do this. I don't know anything about being a parent! How am I supposed to protect the village and raise Nori alone? I'll never be enough for him. Hin—Hinata was everything to him—and to me—and I can't, I _can't_ , I can't replace her. I don't know what to do I just—Uuuaaarrrgh!" He roared in frustration, hands fisted in his short hair.

"Hm," Sasuke said after waiting a moment after Naruto's outburst. He raised a dark eyebrow lazily. "I guess it really has been a while."

He tried his best to keep his voice and expression light and it seemed to work. Naruto glanced at him, brought momentarily from his state of panic. Sasuke didn't elaborate until Naruto inclined his head questioningly and then Sasuke just shrugged.

"I guess it has been a while since I've talked with you," he clarified, even though it stung a little to admit. "It must have been a while for you to change so much. I don't remember Naruto Uzumaki every saying he couldn't do something. What was your ninja way again? Never give up? Hm, you wouldn't know now with the way you're griping. What would Hinata say if she saw that you'd given up the nindo she shared with you—"

"Hey!"

"What?" he asked, challenging Naruto to stand up and scream at him, to get some fight back into those sad blue eyes and remind him that there were still things worth fighting for and believing in.

"Just because she's gone doesn't mean you should give up. You can't do it? You don't know how to raise a kid? It's too hard? Too bad. Go cry about it somewhere else, dead last."

It was quiet after that, and Naruto's eyes were wide. He looked as shocked as Sasuke hoped he would be. His heart was beating faster than he felt it should but maybe he was only nervous; it was a bit of a gamble to treat Naruto so roughly when they just barely were back on speaking terms again. He might react so badly he would want to cut Sasuke out again, realize that he was better off without Sasuke yelling at him or giving him a hard time.

Sasuke already knew that if that happened again, if Naruto made the choice to distance them himself this time, he would leave. But it was worth the risk to say the things Naruto needed to hear. He had a kid relying on him now—Naruto couldn't afford to doubt himself.

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, head towards the floor again. His back was curved and his shoulders hanging as if Sasuke could see the weight that was settled there.

"Thank you."

He looked up.

"Again," he added, gaze flickering back to the floor. "I'm relying on you too much."

"It's the least I can do, right? You saved me from myself once before."

Something crossed over Naruto's features. He glanced at Sasuke and away again, mumbling,

"That time…" he trialed off, and Sasuke's pulse quickened. What time was Naruto referring to? Could he mean to ask about _that_ night?

"I—" he continued hesitantly, "I've always wondered what you really meant that time, when you—"

" _WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH_ " the cry came from the other room and was undoubtedly a shriek of pain from Nori. Both he and Naruto acted as fast as their shinobi training allowed them and found themselves in the room in seconds. Naruto rushed to his son's side without thinking and Sasuke surveyed the situation.

Nori had a scratch on his arm undeniably from cat claws and Sasuke was about to get rid of that black fleabag once and for all before he noticed that Muchi was on one side of the room hissing and batting at a white cat that Sasuke had never seen before.

"Shit," he cursed. Grabbing the white cat in a flash and holding tight to the scruff of it's neck, he quickly disposed of it outside, tossing it and watching as it landed upright on it's feet and hissed at him. He flashed his sharingan in its eyes and it scampered away. Hopefully it wouldn't return anytime soon. He would need to figure out how it had even gotten inside.

Upon returning to the living room he found Nori still sobbing, gasping in large gulps of air as Naruto tried to soon the scratch on his hand and calm his son with seemingly little result.

"Come on, Nori. You can stop crying it's okay the cat's gone. Come on, n—no, don't cry, it's not that bad, see? Nori, Nori, no, please stop crying. Stop crying—"

Naruto was panicking again, just like that. It was obvious he didn't want to see his son cry and nothing he said seemed to be reaching Nori. The cat's attack must have really surprised him for him to react so extremely. Sasuke felt like his heart was still beating from Nori's scream—he'd assumed the worst and panicked when he heard it and Nori wasn't even his child.

" _I want momma, I want momma, I want momma_ ," Nori gasped through his tears, yelling it right in Naruto's face.

"I know you do, Nori, but I—she's—Nori, please just stop crying, please—"

Sasuke felt something overtake him just like that and he sprung into action without even thinking about it. He went into the kitchen and wet a rag with warm water then returned to the living room and knelt to the floor, nudging Naruto to the side and ignoring the look of panicked surprise that crossed the blond's face.

He gently took Nori's injured hand in his—it was barely bleeding and couldn't have hurt very badly. It was probably the shock that had caused his reaction more than anything else. He pressed the warm clothe to Nori's hand as his choked sobs echoed in his ears.

"Nori," he said, voice even and soft. He wasn't sure where the tone of his voice even came from; he couldn't recall ever using it before but it felt like it came naturally all the same. Almost instantly Nori took a deep breath and his crying calmed to shuttered, heavy breathing.

He glanced up to find Nori staring at him with a tear-stained face and wide eyes. Sasuke could feel Naruto's eyes on him but he had to ignore it and focus on the child before him.

"There, it's not that bad," he murmured, lifting the rag so Nori could see the scratch.

"It hu—u—urt," the boy stammered, and hiccupped softly. Sasuke nodded and folded the rag over, using the clean side to gently wipe away the tears and snot that were covering the boys face. He tried to at least not _look_ grossed out by the kid bodily fluids as he cleaned Nori's face carefully. Once he was finished he looked into Nori's eyes again, making sure to maintain that same even, steady tone of voice as before when he asked,

"What did you learn?"

Nori took a moment before replying with a deep frown,

"White cats are _mean_!"

Sasuke smiled faintly but shook his head. Naruto eyes pouring into him made him feel like he was on a stage, like he was performing, and yet it didn't bother him and didn't stop him from doing what his instincts were telling him. Instincts that came to him from a place that should have been long forgotten in the past…

" _Oh, Sasuke! What happened?" Mikoto Uchiha knelt beside her youngest son and used the cloth in her pocket to stop the bleeding. She wrapped it around his injured fingers and held it up as Sasuke tried in vain to stifle his tears with repetitive sniffles. He refused to look in his mother's eyes but he knew what happened the moment she spotted the kunai lying on the floor beside him. She let out a small sigh._

" _What did we learn?"_

_He stubbornly refused to answer until she asked once again, serene and gentle._

" _What did we_ learn _, Sasuke?"_

"… _don play with big brother's weapons…" He sniffed again and finally looked into his mother's kind face. "I—I jus wanted to try them! Brother said he would teach me how to use them but he's never here anymo!"_

_She smiled graciously, picking Sasuke up even though he thought he was too big to be picked up by his mom anymore, and carried him to get his wound fixed properly._

" _Itachi will be home tonight and I'll tell him he should teach you how to use those kunai properly. But you won't try it by yourself again, right?"_

" _Yes, Momma."_

"What did you learn?" he repeated.

Nori bit his lip and looked down.

"…Not all cats are nice like Muchi…"

Sasuke nodded.

"So you should…?"

"Be careful 'round cats cause they could bite me or scratch me."

"Mhmm. Do you want a bandaid for that?"

Nori nodded shyly—and that was when Sasuke noticed them.

He didn't know how he hadn't seen them when he was washing Nori's face but suddenly they were there: two sets of whisker marks, very faint, on each of Nori's cheeks. Sasuke glanced down at the scratch that had been on Nori's arm and his suspicion was confirmed; it had vanished, just like Naruto's wounds did.

 _Just pretend like you didn't notice_ , he told himself. _They weren't there before and Naruto is sure to notice them on his own. He can ask that damn fox himself. It's not my problem. You didn't even notice they were there._

" _You should tell him,"_ Kurama had said. He thought about how Nori had looked when Sasuke found him at the Dorogakure hideout, how terrifyingly powerful and out of control he'd been. Had he been close to losing control when he was injured just then? Was he so dangerous that Naruto _needed_ to know?

Nori was looking at him strangely and he shook himself, standing and walking towards the bathroom.

"One bandaid, coming up." _Not that he needs it._

He retrieved the bandaid and placed it carefully on Nori's unblemished arm. As he did he tried getting a closer look at the marks on Nori's face. They were different from Naruto's whisker marks—two lines on each side instead of three, and they were fainter, not as bold as Naruto's. Something made Sasuke think that they would only becoming darker and more prominent as time went on.

_He'll notice them on his own. Leave it alone, Sasuke._

"Naruto," he said, turning towards Nori's father. Naruto was staring at him like he didn't know who he was; it was an unnerving expression for Sasuke to face.

"I have to tell you—"

"Hokage, sir."

It was a good thing so many years had passed since Sasuke had lived his life on the run as a wanted criminal. His instantaneous reactions to threats and attacks had dulled—had they not he would have already blasted a hole through Neji's chest at his sudden appearance. As it was, both he and Naruto had jumped the moment Neji appeared in the living room, turning and assuming slight fighting stances until they realized they weren't in any danger.

"I apologize for interrupting," he said, though Sasuke didn't think his tone very much matched the statement. He cast a lightning quick glance at the scene, Sasuke kneeling beside a bandaged Nori, and then turned his white gaze back to Naruto.

"The fifth Hokage is curious to know how the mission went. She's impatient as always."

Naruto seemed to come out of a daze, blinking at Neji and then rolling his eyes.

"Why is she always butting in? At least Kakashi lets me do my job without trying to give advice every three minutes. Did any of the other Hokage's have to deal with this?"

"None of the other Hokage's were as young as you," Neji reminded him, smiling softly. He turned his gaze to his almost-nephew who grinned wide and stood to walk over to him. Sasuke wondered whether Neji's sharp eyes would notice the new features of Nori's face.

"Uncle Neji!"

"Hello Aonori. What happened to your arm?"

"A bad cat scratch me! But Sasuke made it better."

Once again Neji's blank gaze flickered in his direction then away before Sasuke could get a real read on his expression.

"Did he now? That was nice of him, though he probably shouldn't have let a dangerous animal walk around his house if it was wild enough to scratch you in the first place."

Sasuke frowned. Nori started to launch into a long-winded explanation (it was hard to believe he barely spoke a word to Sasuke a day ago) of what really happened but Naruto cut him off.

"We should go report to the old hag and get it over with."

"Am I gonna come see Granny too?" Nori asked shyly. Naruto paused, considering it. He looked uncomfortable and Sasuke remembered his breakdown earlier, his lack of faith in his parenting skills.

"I think this might take some time, Nori. Do you want to stay with Uncle Neji until I'm done meeting with Tsunade?"

Nori glanced between his uncle and, to Sasuke's surprise, him. Then he looked down at the ground and pulled on the bottom of his sweater, mumbling whisper-soft,

"Can I stay here until after?"

Sasuke was surprised, though not enough to avoid noticing the definite scowl that fell to Neji's features when Nori spoke. Naruto seemed surprised too, looking almost shy himself as he made a questioning face in Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke simply nodded his agreement, and saw Naruto and Nori exhale together, somehow relieved that Sasuke would say yes. Sasuke was beginning to think something was wrong in the Uzumaki line—no one else tolerated, even liked, him as much as Naruto and now his son seemed to. It defied reason.

"Well, then," Naruto said, straightening and nodding to Neji. "I guess we'll go. Thanks for watching him, Sasuke. I'll be back to get him before dinner I think."

Naruto wasn't back until after dinner, as it happened.

He showed up at Sasuke's door like a walking sigh.

"Is everything alright?" Sasuke asked, concerned. It never seemed to be good when the Hokage looked tired. The last time he'd been as exhausted as he was now they had been going through the secret history of Konoha's conflicts between other villages. It had been broader and bloodier than they could have imagined and Naruto had to deal with it all. It was one of the few times Sasuke regretted the distance he made between Naruto and himself. The information seemed like the kind that was a burden best carried with help.

Naruto looked tired even when he smiled and shook his head.

"Just a lot of work to do. Sorry I'm late…"

"It's no problem. Nori had fried tofu and edamame for dinner."

Naruto made a whining sound from the back of his throat and slumped his shoulders in. "That sounds goooood."

"I can make some next week," Sasuke promised. A silence fell between them and Sasuke looked away. All day he'd been debating whether or not he should tell Naruto about the monsters in his son's head and he still hadn't conjured up the answer.

"Dad," Nori appeared behind Sasuke, raising his arms out so his father could wearily pick him and give him a quick hug before he set him back down on the ground and looked at him closely.

"Hey, what's that on your face?" he asked, and Sasuke tensed. But the next second the blond just grinned and pat Nori's head, standing up and shrugging lightly.

"Guess I never noticed them before. People are going to say you look even more like me now, huh, Aonori?"

The boy didn't seem to have any idea what his father was talking about but he was too little to bother worrying about it. Naruto seemed too tired to give it any further thought either—Sasuke couldn't help but be amazed at Naruto's idiocy. Amazed but not entirely surprised.

"Are you ready to go home? Is your backpack packed?"

Nori nodded his head twice and ran back inside to get the pack. Naruto heaved a deep sigh, and in the silence Sasuke almost just came out and told him.

" _Your son has all nine beasts in his head."_

But he didn't. Whether it was pity or denial or fear that held his tongue, Sasuke didn't know, but he kept quiet until Nori returned with his bag and father and son turned to go.

"See you soon, Sasuke! Thank you for everything!" Nori chimed, standing on his toes like it might make him louder.

Sasuke smiled softly and nodded.

"See you soon," Naruto mimicked his son, catching Sasuke's eyes and leaving him feeling heavy with a jumble of thoughts as he waved and croaked a dazed,

"Yeah."

He hated to admit how much it hurt to watch them walk away from him.

* * *

It was getting colder out lately, especially in the evenings. Naruto was glad he'd packed Nori's scarf, though looking at it only reminded him of Hinata. His son's bag was slung over his shoulder and Nori's small hand was held in his as they left Sasuke's house and made their way back to theirs. Naruto had to pay attention to where they went or they would end up back at their old house, the one that smelled like her and felt like home. There was a reason they'd had to leave it.

"Hey Dad," Nori piped in his small voice. Naruto always thought everything about Nori was small; from the moment he'd laid eyes on the crying bundle in his wife's arms he felt like he had never seen anything to small and worthy of so much protection.

"Yeah?" he asked, glancing down at the top of Nori's blond head.

"Sasuke is cool and nice. I like him."

Naruto felt his hand tighten around his son's and his chest constrict.

"Me too," he answered. Sasuke really had been cool when he comforted Nori when he was crying. Naruto had only panicked but Sasuke knew just what to say. He really did know nothing about raising children…

"Why didn't we see him afore now?"

Naruto stopped walking and Nori paused just beside him.

He really didn't know anything about handling children on his own. Nori kept asking questions, he would _keep_ asking questions like this and Naruto was an idiot. He didn't know how to answer them.

But something told him it was better to try and tell at least some of the truth.

He leaned down so he could look into his son's pale eyes and placed his hands on his son's small shoulders.

"Because I loved your mother very much," he answered. Nori looked confused and Naruto couldn't blame him. He took a deep breath. It was time to man up and be a father; he couldn't mess around anymore or Hinata would never forgive him.

"Nori, you—you know your mom is—" he took a shaky breath in, "she's gone, you know? She can't come back. I'm sorry—I'm sorr—I wish I could change it and make it okay but it's just—she's gone and I—"

"Daddy," Nori's tiny voice caught him and he opened the eyes he didn't know he'd shut. "Dad it's okay you don't have to cry."

Naruto sobbed as his son reached tiny hands up to wipe at the tears that had fallen down his cheeks.

Hearing Nori call him Daddy only made him sob harder. Nori barely ever called him Daddy. It made him think about her…

_He'd come home late one evening and he was stressed and tired. Sasuke had been sent on a mission that day and he was always stressed when he sent Sasuke away on missions, anxious that this time maybe he just wouldn't come back. He had expected his wife and child to already be asleep when he arrived but when he opened the door he heard their laughter._

" _Naruto, is that you?" she'd called out to him. "Are you home?"_

" _I'm home," he smiled at her as she turned the corner and raced over to him, surprising him by pulling on his sleeve to lead him back into the kitchen where Nori was seated in his highchair waiting for them._

" _What's going on?" he'd asked, looking between his wife and their infant son._

" _Dada!" Nori squealed and Naruto's eyes widened. Hinata giggled behind her hand._

" _It's his first word!" she cheered. "He's been saying it all day. We were waiting for you to come home to show you, weren't we, Nori?"_

" _Dada!" he repeated, and Naruto's face split into an uncontained grin. Hinata slipped her hand into his as Nori kept repeating "dada" over and over and Naruto tried not to feel too overwhelmed with love. He was so grateful to Hinata because she had given him more love than he ever thought he would have. He finally had a family and he loved them. He loved them more than he could bear._

And he loved her. He loved her. He loved her. He would have kept loving her forever he knew it but she was gone and all he really had to remember her by was their beautiful, gentle son who called him Daddy and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Daddy, don't cry. It's okay. Momma said it'll be okay. She said tank you."

Naruto couldn't breath but he looked into his son's eyes, full of strength and honesty and he listened.

"I know Momma is gone, Daddy. But she said—she said it'll be okay. That's what she said. And Momma said to tell Daddy tank you. That's what she said."

"She said," the words could barely come out of his mouth, "thank you?"

Nori nodded.

"She said tell Daddy tank you for me."

Naruto thought he'd cried himself dry but it turned out there were still more inside him. He wrapped his arms around Nori, pulling him in close and tight and sobbed into his son's shoulder. It didn't take long for Nori to start crying too and for his tiny hands to hold tight to the fabric of Naruto's shirt.

They stayed that way for probably longer than they should have, holding each other and sobbing in the cold for the woman they lost. Finally Naruto lifted Nori into his arms—the boy was exhausted—and carried him the rest of the way back to their home.

As he was tucking Nori into bed he couldn't help but stare at the beautiful child they had made together and be grateful to her. He would always be grateful to her and a part of him would always love her.

"Thank you, Hinata. For everything."

He wanted to go straight into his bedroom and fall asleep but he couldn't leave Nori's backpack lying on the floor of his bedroom or it would surely never be unpacked. He opened it carefully, surprised to find the first thing he pulled out was a plush of a cat he'd never seen before. He stared at it for a moment before setting it gently beside Nori on his bed.

He carefully took all of the clothes from Nori's bag and put them in the laundry pile, then made sure to put his toothbrush back in the bathroom and reminded himself with a nod in the direction of Hinata's shrine to make Nori brush extra next morning because he fell asleep before he did it tonight. He at least had to try to be enough of a parent, even if he felt like it was impossible.

Naruto was about to toss the pack to the back of the closet when he noticed that there was something still at the bottom of the bag. He reached in and carefully pulled out a black bento box. It had a note taped to the top that read:

_Learn to cook._

_-Sasuke_

He opened it and inside was a neat little meal of rice, friend tofu and shelled edamame peas.

Maybe it was just because the day had been so long and he'd made so many mistakes, or maybe it was because he'd already cried like a little kid, but the sight of it made him want to cry all over again.

He ate the meal alone at the table and when he was finished he took the note from the lid and carefully stuck it to the front of the fridge. Then he headed off to sleep, knowing that, as usual, his dreams were bound to be about Sasuke Uchiha.


	7. Fight

“We’re almost ready to clear the area for construction. The only thing left is to check the environmental impact of the project and decide upon the best way to counteract it. That will mean another trip to the site, Hokage-sama, as thrilling as I know that sounds.” Shikamaru’s monotonous report was succeeding in putting all who were attending the meeting to sleep, aided ever more by the bleak, grey weather outside the high windows of Naruto’s office. Even Sasuke was having a hard time paying attention.

He was surprised how quickly Shikamaru had resumed his role as Naruto’s right hand, though he probably shouldn’t have been. While the lazier shinobi had been in Sand with his family, Neji had mostly taken over his role by Naruto’s side, and was currently in attendance along with Kakashi, Shizune, Karin, some Kirigakure representative Sasuke hadn’t bothered to learn the name of, and of course the Hokage himself, who was staring out at the rain as though he hadn’t heard a word Shikamaru had spoken.

Shikamaru sighed as if he had just come to the very same conclusion.

“Naruto,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning against a desk, “the plan to rebuild Uzushiogakure was _your_ idea. It would be helpful if you actually acted like you were involved in the process of making it happen.”

Naruto blinked slowly and Karin rolled her eyes.

“Oi! Blondie!” She stepped over to him and snapped in front of his face.

Naruto blinked and his eyes focused as he turned towards the room, expression timidly shameful. Sasuke smirked as Naruto quickly apologized for spacing out and Shikamaru repeated his original statement in less words so Naruto knew what they were discussing.

“Another trip?” he pouted, once he realized what Shikamaru had said. “Do I have to go?”

Sasuke suspected he was more reluctant to leave his son again than he was unwilling to go back to the site of the planned Uzushiogakure. Shikamaru cleared his throat and answered,

“No, I don’t think so. For this job a small team will do. Karin has already volunteered, as well as Juta—” he nodded towards the Kirigakure nin, “—and myself. I was hoping to take a few chunin along as well.”

He paused.

“And Shino, if he’s willing to take the mission.”

Naruto’s expression darkened then brightened and he nodded.

“Take Kiba too. I think a mission will be good for them. Is that everything? When do you leave?”

Shikamaru sighed heavily, staring out the window.

“We’ll leave by the end of the week. Hopefully this rainy spell will have broken by then. I hate walking in soggy shoes, it’s such a drag.” His eyes adjusted back to Naruto and he added, “I’ve left a more detailed briefing printed out for you on your desk because I knew you wouldn’t be paying attention.”

“Sorry, Shika,” Naruto grinned. “And thanks. That’s all we had to do today, you’re all dismissed.”

The others gathered their papers and headed towards the door while Sasuke waited for Shikamaru to give Naruto more details of the mission to Uzushiogakure. Karin caught his eye as she was leaving and he nodded to her. They were no longer a team—hadn’t been in years—but he was still civil towards her.

She winked and blew him a kiss as she left, but Sasuke didn’t bat an eye. She had changed in the years since becoming an official Konoha kunoichi, but not in all ways.

Shikamaru caught his eye as he left, too, but instead of a wink and a kiss he just gave Sasuke a curious look, like he was trying to puzzle something out. Sasuke wished he liked Shikamaru more—he was one of the most tolerable of his fellow classmates—but he didn’t think he could ever make himself trust someone who seemed like he was thinking halfway in the dark all the time. He could never quite tell what Nara was thinking and it set him on edge.

He stepped towards Naruto’s desk once everyone had filed out.

“Thanks for waiting through the meeting, Sasuke.”

“It probably would have gone faster if you had been paying attention.”

Naruto pouted. “Don’t nag! The rain was putting me in a trance, and it’s not my fault all this construction and rebuilding stuff is dead boring. I wanted to rebuild Uzushiogakure so that people could live there again. I don’t care about all this technical stuff.”

“Who is going to live there?” Sasuke inquired. It just occurred to him that he wasn’t sure who Naruto had planned on repopulating the village with. Naruto brightened instantly at the question.

“That’s the best part! And that’s why I wanted Karin involved in this project, because she’s an Uzumaki. Or, part, anyway. I’ve sent word to each country that anyone with Uzumaki heritage has a place in the new Uzushiogakure. There’s a lot of history there, buried under rubble and covered with water. I think people who want to should be able to know where they came from.

“And then the second part of the message I sent out was for anyone who wanted a fresh start, letting them know they had a place in the new village too. It’s going to be completely different from the other villages, Sasuke! It isn’t going to be founded on war and fighting, but on peace and a better future. We’ve set it up so all the orphanages in Konoha and Suna will be moved to Uzushiogakure and the kids will have as much space as they want. I’m working on a proposal for a more community-service based criminal system, so people who have been convicted will feel welcome, too.”

“Criminals?” Sasuke interrupted, frowning. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Naruto smiled softly.

“Everyone needs a second chance, don’t you think?”

“I…” Sasuke hesitated, then Naruto’s implied meaning clicked in his head. Of course Naruto would want everyone to have a second chance. After all, he’d given Sasuke a second chance without question, something no one else would have done. Naruto was trusting that way, and kind, and infallibly optimistic. It was why he made a great Hokage.

“I guess I do,” he conceded, and Naruto’s smile widened. He leaned in and dropped his voice when he added,

“I haven’t told anyone this, but I’m going to ask Shikamaru if he’ll be the leader of the new Uzushiogakure.”

That surprised Sasuke more than anything else Naruto had said, though he wasn’t sure why. Shikamaru had proven himself to be reliable and skilled at handling the tasks a kage would be burdened with. Sasuke was mostly just surprised Naruto would be willing to give up his best adviser again so soon. Maybe this time when Shikamaru left, Sasuke would finally do the right thing and take the position by Naruto’s side, the way things were always meant to be.

“I’m sure he’ll make a capable Uzukage.”

To his confusion Naruto grimaced at the title Sasuke had used.

“That’s another thing,” the Hokage mumbled, folding his hands together on his desk. “As soon as Uzushiogakure is built and sustainable, I’m going to change the kage name.”

“What?” Sasuke wasn’t sure what he meant by that. Hadn’t Naruto worked practically his whole life to earn the title of _Hokage_? Why would he possibly want to change it now?

“The kage name is steeped in blood. We aren’t “shadows” anymore, working in the darkness, doing things no one is allowed to talk about. I’ve thought about it for a long time, and as much as things have changed I know the “kage” title is still holding us back. Gaara agrees, and I hope the others will too.”

Naruto’s blue eyes were narrowed and serious. Sasuke could tell he’d spent much time thinking this over, and that he was sure of his decision. He was firm and adamant, commanding in a way that Sasuke had never seen him before. He was the Hokage he was always meant to be, whether he changed his title or not, and the realization sent a thrill down Sasuke’s spine. He only wished he’d been paying more attention to see how Naruto had come to be the determined, intelligent leader that he had.

“Hey, Sasuke,” he said, looking up, eyes wider and expression relaxed back to his more natural, easy-going state. “I know I said I wanted your help with these mission reports, but don’t you think today is the perfect day for sparring?”

Well, maybe he still had some of the unreliable loser-Naruto in him buried deep. Sasuke didn’t altogether mind that Naruto either.

He smirked.

“It’s a pretty good day to get your ass kicked, dead-last.”

“You wish, bastard!”

* * *

 

They stopped on the way to get Nori from Temari’s house because Naruto claimed that Nori had asked him whether he or Sasuke was stronger and he had to prove himself to his son. Sasuke found himself feeling just the smallest bit resentful. He’d thought for a moment that he was going to be able to spend some time with just Naruto, but he couldn’t blame a father for wanting to be with his son when he could.

He felt worse for feeling defensive of Naruto’s time in the first place. He hated that he coveted Naruto so much. If he were a better person he wouldn’t be so greedy with Naruto’s time but he couldn’t help it; he’d already wasted so much of it being stubborn and blind he felt like he had to claim every second of Naruto that he could.

Nori _was_ excited about watching Sasuke and his father spar. He didn’t even mind sitting on a wet log on the edge of one of the training grounds to watch. It had stopped raining but the sky’s were still cloudy and grey and the ground was soggy and full of puddles. It would make sparring interesting—and messy. Sasuke could tell from the wide grin on Naruto’s face that he could care less about getting a bit muddy, and Sasuke figured he would just take a shower after he beat Naruto. If he managed to end it quickly enough he might even manage to avoid getting dirty altogether.

“Ready?” Naruto asked, taunting. Nori cheered from the sidelines.

Sasuke nodded. He knew the drill. It was like the old days, before _that night_. They had rules for sparring and he knew they hadn’t changed. No chakra unless specifically stated; they’d caused too much property damage in the beginning to fight full-out, so they pulled it back and settled for simple hand-to-hand. It usually meant Sasuke had the advantage. He was quicker, but he tired faster.

Naruto made the first move, digging his heel into the mud to get better leverage as he launched at Sasuke. Sasuke dodged and spun around, his leg flying for Naruto’s shoulder. He half expected Naruto to crash and fall into the mud right away but he caught himself and even managed to take the kick without flinching, grabbing Sasuke’s ankle and flipping him back so he had to land with his knees just an inch from the muddy ground.

And just like that Sasuke’s world was on fire.

It had been so long since he’d moved in time to Naruto, since he was evenly matched, toe-to-toe, perfect sync. It had been years since his senses came alive with instinct, moving his limbs for him, tilting his perception, reading Naruto’s every move to meet it right in the middle.

His blood flowed hot through his veins as he ducked and weaved and took hit after hit, pushing and crashing into Naruto in equal.

“Did you get slower?” Naruto asked, grinning from ear to ear. His hair was damp from the water in the air, sticking to his face. Sasuke could feel his bangs swept haphazardly across his brow, jabbed one leg to try and knock the cocky blond off balance.

“You wish,” he replied coolly, though he felt anything but. Naruto stumbled but caught himself in time to bend one knee as Sasuke’s elbow aimed for his shoulder and a kick went straight for his shins. He caught Sasuke’s leg, fingers gripping the fabric of his pants and both paused, waiting to see who would counter first.

The glint in Naruto’s eye gave him away and Sasuke managed to be quick enough to use his other leg to push off and back, keeping the space between them and his advantage. Naruto was always better at closer combat; if he got a grip on Sasuke it could end it, so Sasuke simply didn’t let him.

For all the talk, Sasuke knew he hadn’t gotten slower—Naruto had gotten faster, just by a bit. It made it more interesting, as if it needed to be. It was already the most exhilarating thing Sasuke had experienced in as long as he could remember. His heart felt like it could pound out of his chest, his chakra was already building underneath his skin. In the years past when he and Naruto fought neither of them had the chakra control they should and both ended the fight shrouded in a coat of chakra they struggled to restrain.

He wanted to unleash it, to let it burn in his throat as he scorched the mud around them with a phoenix flower jutsu, just to see how Naruto would react, how he would dodge or counter it. He stepped quick and agile forward, palms meeting Naruto’s forearms, bounding off and then meeting again, like a dance. Several times he swore he caught Naruto moving to make the seal for shadow clones only to stop himself and block Sasuke’s attack.

The tide turned and Sasuke found himself on the offensive, the fire and power building and building in his gut with every clash of limb on limb. Never without a plan, Sasuke had been carefully pushing and pushing Naruto back, moving him into the right position, just in front of the slipperiest looking patch of mud. He was quickly getting out of breath but the energy inside him wasn’t waning.

This was what he’d _wanted_ , what he needed when he didn’t even know he’d needed it. Just he and Naruto, no other world around them, no dead calling their names, twisting their lives. It just built and built and built in the both of them, stronger than Sasuke had ever felt it before, maybe because it had been so long.

He felt like he was the person he was meant to be when he was fighting Naruto, and Naruto was exactly who and where he was meant to be, and that was with Sasuke, in his sights and tauntingly within reach.

He finally pushed Naruto back so his left foot slipped just a fraction into the mud. Naruto’s eyes widened and Sasuke heard Nori gasp and giggle.

He hadn’t for a moment forgotten Naruto’s son watching them. It had almost helped to spurn him on, to fight harder to see if Nori would cheer for him or his father, or maybe the boy would laugh if he saw his father fall in the mud.

But Sasuke didn’t want the fight to end so soon. He wanted Naruto at his greatest, at his very best, and he knew without even thinking just how to make that happen.

“I’m embarrassing you in front of your son, Naruto. Are you going to take that?” He taunted.

He practically heard Naruto’s teeth grinding together as tiny flutters of raindrops started to fall around them. Sasuke’s clothes were sticking to him from sweat and humidity, but he didn’t even notice it, too busy staring at Naruto. He’d taken off the kage robes when they began and underneath he was wearing a simple white t-shirt, almost completely see-through once the water soaked into it. Sasuke could see every line of muscle on Naruto’s chest, up along his arms and to his neck. He’d gained so much figure and form since they were young, and even in just the years since Sasuke had stopped paying attention. Both their shoes and the bottoms of their pants were covered in mud, and each of Naruto’s knees was muddy from the times Sasuke had gotten him almost to the ground.

There was something in Naruto’s eyes, something hungry and predatory that Sasuke found familiar and strange all at once. He tried hard not to stare too long, too lustily, not to mark every inch of Naruto’s body with his eyes. He fought himself not to activate his sharingan just to memorize the way Naruto’s stomach moved when he straightened his back or turned his body to the side.

And then Naruto’s tongue slipped from his lips, licked a line at the corner of his mouth as his feet dug into the mud. The action, subtle and harmless it might have been, sent a wave of desire rippling through Sasuke’s already livewire body. He faltered, dropped his defensive stance just long enough for Naruto to launch forward, arms wrapping around Sasuke’s middle and sending the both of them splattering into the thick, deep mud.

Sasuke managed to keep the mud from his face but his clothes were a disaster. Naruto had gotten a face full himself, even his hair was so covered not a trace of blond could be seen. Sasuke rolled onto his knees, heart pounding faster even than before, ready for Naruto to attack again.

But he didn’t. Instead he knelt in the mud, blinked Sasuke’s way with mud dripping down his face, and laughed.

It was infectious, and ridiculous, laughing covered in mud in the rain. It was so _Naruto_ that Sasuke just couldn’t resist it, smiling despite himself, despite the desperate way he wanted to forget everything—Hinata, _that night_ , Nori, the entire past four years—and just take Naruto in the mud. He clenched his fist and grinned as Naruto chucked a handful of mud at him and he blocked it with his forearm.

Naruto started to rise clumsily from the mud, trying in vain to wipe some of it from his face and clothes, mumbling something about going to the bathhouse to get all of it off. Sasuke took in a deep breath of water and earth, started to try and calm his body, drop his defenses since it seemed like Naruto had admitted defeat, at least for that day.

And then in the span of half a second his defenses raised full force as he leapt backwards and activated his sharingan to avoid the colossal chakra attack that had nearly splintered him in half.

It took the other half of the second to realize that Nori hadn’t been targeting him, but mud-covered Naruto, and to piece together exactly why the child that had been happily watching them spar moments before was suddenly consumed with anger and levels of chakra he couldn’t even begin to control.

“ _Shit_!” he cursed at himself for not realizing what seeing someone _covered in mud_ would do to Nori, the memories that it would trigger.

Chakra tails were crashing all around him, he had near misses several times that he had to dodge before he could get a grip on the situation. Naruto was still right where he had been when the first wave of Beast chakra hit. Sasuke couldn’t tell for sure but he thought Naruto had gone into sage mode. He couldn’t escape the center of the attack, just had to defend himself as best he could. He was shouting something, probably Nori’s name, but it wasn’t getting through—Nori was too far-gone.

It was difficult for Sasuke to even get a glimpse of the child; he was so shrouded in chakra tails. He could hear him, though, the agonizing howl echoed across the training ground as it was destroyed, huge gashes in the dirt and mud while chakra as sharp as blades and as huge as trees sliced without restraint.

“ _NORI_!” Naruto roared as two tails swung at him, crashing down, pushing him into the mud, and Sasuke had to think. He had to get close enough to look make Nori look into his eyes and he could not, absolutely not even come close to hurting him.

He tried to leap forward, around a bright blue bit of chakra, twisting and spinning through the air, almost too fast for Sasuke’s eyes to track. He managed to land ten feet from Nori but had to keep moving, the tails that were closets to the boy were protective, didn’t want him to get closer.

Sasuke suddenly realized how lucky he’d gotten the night he’d rescued Nori—that had only been the smallest fraction of his power, it had been nothing compared to this. He wasn’t even sure if this was everything Nori was capable of. The beasts seemed confident that Nori wouldn’t lose control again; Sasuke wondered whether they’d just been lying to protect him.

The air swirled around him as he dodged more tails, edging in ever closer to the child at the center of the destruction. They seemed to be slowing, twisting through the air and smashing into Naruto with less rapid succession. It seemed like it might be his chance.

Then Nori reared back, white eyes wide and unseeing, and the chakra surged, doubling in size.

“ _DON’T! HURT! DADDY!”_ Nori roared, charging forward, ready to finish Naruto, unable to see that the muddy creature that had triggered his attack was his own father. Naruto stood firm, arms defensive over his face, prepared to take the full brunt of the attack rather than fight back and risk hurting his son.

Sasuke took a deep breath and moved himself right in Nori’s path. He sent just enough lightning to shock him and then caught Nori in his genjustu, freezing him instantly. He didn’t go inside the boy’s head. He knew what he would find, and yelling at the beasts would be Naruto’s job this time.

He deactivated his sharingan as the chakra tails retreated back into Nori’s exhausted, tiny body. Naruto caught his son before he hit the ground, gently cradling his head in one hand and staring down at him with confused shock.

“Nori…” he trailed off, running a thumb over the almost black whisker marks on his son’s face.

Sasuke swallowed.

“Naruto, there’s something you should know.”

* * *

Naruto had remained fairly calm as Sasuke explained the first time he’d seen Nori lose control of the beasts, back in Dorogakure. How he’d looked into Nori’s head after seeing how the boy hadn’t been sleeping and how the beasts had claimed that they were only there to help—to protect him.

When he was finished explaining it all, Naruto had looked at him and asked evenly,

“Why didn’t you tell me before?”

He was in Dad-Naruto mode, which always set Sasuke a little on edge, made him a little more careful with his words. He averted his gaze, then returned it and replied,

“I didn’t think it was my place.”

Naruto scowled and looked towards his son but said nothing. There was only silence between them for several minutes, so heavy that Sasuke wondered if it was his cue to leave. It was, after all, not his place. And then Naruto spoke up, voice heavy, like he carried the weight of the world on his tongue.

“When Nori was born,” he began, and paused, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them with a sigh and looking Sasuke’s way. “When Nori was born he was really sick.”

Sasuke frowned, trying to think whether he’d ever heard anything about Naruto’s son being sick. Back then, back when Nori was just born, that was the worst time for Sasuke. He ached to leave the village, would go stare at the gates for hours at a time and contemplate leaving, just to see if maybe Naruto still cared about him enough to go after him. To see who Naruto cared about more—Sasuke or his new family. It showed Sasuke’s true cowardice that he never actually tried it, worried that his greatest fear was actually true: that Naruto really didn’t care about him as much as Hinata.

But surely he would have heard Sakura mention something about Nori being sick? Would have noticed that Naruto or Hinata were upset and worried about their son? It bothered him that he didn’t have any memory of it.

Distracted by his own useless memory, he barely heard as Naruto continued in a somber tone,

“He was really sick. So sick that we… we were worried he might not make it. Sakura tried to heal him every day, any time she could spare. We tried everything but he was so—so weak and tiny and fragile. I hated leaving for work, I was so scared that it would be the last time I—“ he broke off, and Sasuke saw his fists clenched together, his jaw tighten.

“But he got better?” Sasuke asked. He’d never seen Nori look anything but peak health, aside from his inability to sleep. Naruto nodded.

“The first year was the worst, and then on his first birthday everyone came to meet him, Gaara and Bee and all the Kages… and the beasts all showed up too. And they asked me if they could give him a gift, and I said yes. And there were a bunch of people around, and I wasn’t really paying attention. Hina—she was with Nori.”

He stopped again, scowling like he was trying to work something out.

“I wonder if she knew?” he asked, so quietly that Sasuke knew that it was a question that no one was really meant to answer.

“After his first birthday he was never sick a day in his life. I didn’t even question it!” Naruto exclaimed, throwing up his hands. “I just thought we were lucky. I just thought he got better on his own, or because we really, really wanted him too get better, so he did. I can’t believe I never realized…”

Sasuke waited just long enough into the silence that followed and then offered gently,

“I think they are trying to help. To protect him.”

He saw Naruto’s fists clench up again, his mouth turn to a grimace.

“This is my fault,” Sasuke continued, and Naruto snapped his head around to look at Sasuke with wide eyes. “I was there. I should have known the mud would trigger—“

“It was _my idea_ , Sasuke! This whole day is my fault! I should have known the beasts were there. I should have noticed—I did notice! Of course I noticed that my son was acting strange. He gets distracted now, all the time. He kept acting like he’s hiding something. The marks on his face! I was just ignoring everything because I thought it was about _her_! I was the one who wanted to fight! I was the one who fell in the mud and made him relive it all over again!”

“I could make him forget,” Sasuke offered quietly, like a whisper. “I can put the whole thing away, tuck it in the back of his head. He’ll never know it even happened.”

“It’ll happen again,” Naruto replied, no ounce of doubt in his voice.

“He’ll control it. You did.”

Naruto groaned as he stood, one hand on his hip, and started pacing.

  
“Sure, after _years_ of losing control! Of almost killing people! Just like what happened today. _Worse_!”

“Worse?” Sasuke had to ask. He’d seen Naruto shrouded in the nine-tails chakra several times when they were young, but he couldn’t really imagine Naruto out of control. Naruto scoffed, still pacing.

“I hurt Sakura—I almost killed Jiraiya!”

“I thought Jiraiya trained you to control it?”

Naruto glanced at him and if Sasuke didn’t know better he almost would say the blond was flushed. He glanced towards his son—once they had gotten back to Sasuke’s house they had put Nori on the couch to let him sleep off his little explosion—and then out of the window.

“He wanted me to test myself. To see how far he could push me before I snapped. He would, uh…use you to try and get me to work harder. You know?”

Sasuke nodded, a little surprised.

“Negative reinforcement,” he named the technique. Ironically, Orochimaru had used the same technique on him many times, with significant results.

_“Itachi would be laughing over your corpse by now, Sasuke.”_

_He was breathing heavily, chest heaving with the effort of the technique the Snake nin was attempting to teach him._

_“He would have mastered this in minutes,” he sighed. “I should have used your brother instead like I’d always planned.”_

_Sasuke growled low, felt the chakra coursing through him—he was still trying to build up enough for the jutsu to work. It felt like he had been struggling for days. The chakra sizzled beneath his skin, familiar. He concentrated on the lightning, wanted to feel it running along his chakra paths like blood in his veins._

_Once again it fell flat, a tiny sizzle and he couldn’t maintain it for long enough, he didn’t have enough chakra. Orochimaru’s laugh sent him fuming; he shook off the leftover static and started concentrating what little chakra he had left, knowing it was the only way he would he able to build up enough to get it to ever work._

_“Hmmm, what would Naruto think of this? He’d never believe his precious Sasuke could fail at a technique this simple.”_

_“Shut up,” Sasuke grunted, surprised at his own instantaneous reaction. He needed to concentrate. His blood was pounding in his ears._

_“Oh, sensitive about what your ex teammate would think?”_

_“Don’t mention him,” he replied through clenched teeth. The concentration was the most difficult part of the jutsu—all his chakra points had to be equal and connected, and to have them all full of chakra at the same time took a lot of it. He’d already tried it almost eight times and he was running low on both chakra and energy—not to mention patience._

_“No, I think I’ll keep talking about Naruto. It seems to be working better than anything else. I’ll bet even he would be able to master this technique faster than you have, Sasuke.”_

_“Shut.” Sasuke felt his chakra burn, spark, ignite on his skin. “Up!”_

_He growled as the chakra built up enough and he released it, concentrating as best he could with Naruto’s stupid name in his ears and on Orochimaru’s serpentine tongue._

_It fizzled once again and he dropped to his knees, hurrying to catch his breath._

_Orochimaru sighed and Kabuto tutted, shaking his head. Sasuke stood after a minute and started building his chakra again._

Once he’d finally mastered the technique Orochimaru had moved on to a different one, treating him to the same negative reinforcement. Every now and again he would mention Naruto again, and every time, Sasuke was loathe to admit, it pushed him just a little bit farther than he thought he was able to go.

For some reason the idea that Jiraiya had done almost the same with Naruto—that he had used Sasuke with enough effect that Naruto lost control of the nine-tails and almost killed him—made Sasuke feel warm. He suddenly wished he would travel in time, just so that he could hear some of what Jiraiya had taunted Naruto with, to see the way Naruto reacted at the sound of Sasuke’s name.

“Yes!” Naruto huffed, brining Sasuke crashing back to reality. “And now it’s going to happen to Nori the same way it happened to me! I just—“

He huffed again, and reclaimed his seat on the floor, beside Sasuke, looking sadly over at his slumbering son.

“I just wanted something _better_ for him.”

Sasuke thought he understood what Naruto meant. Maybe Nori wasn’t his, and maybe Sasuke was destined to never have children of his own, but he knew that if he could have saved that little boy who saw his mother and father die before his eyes, he would have given his life to do it.

“My father had no choice but to seal the fox in me, I know that now. But as a kid, I…”

“Yeah,” Sasuke murmured. No matter how many years Naruto spent as Hokage, finally with the entire village’s acknowledgement, Sasuke knew there was still a small part of him who was just a lonely kid, hated by everyone for a reason he didn’t even know.

“His mom is dead, and now this? What if the villagers find out and they hate him the same way they hated me? Because he’s not _safe_.” He spit the last word out like a rotten seed, glaring at nothing.

“Naruto, you’ve seen the way these people treat Nori, haven’t you? I don’t think anything in the world could make them love him any less. He’s the prince of Konoha.”

“I know!” Naruto blurted, frustration lining his shoulders. “I know… I just—I just didn’t want Nori to be like—like…”

“To be like us,” Sasuke finished for him softly.

“Yeah,” Naruto breathed, smiling crookedly at Sasuke, more sad and tired than anything else.

“We didn’t turn out that bad,” Sasuke tried to make it sound like he actually believed it when he said it.

Naruto laughed through his nose.

“I guess not.”

* * *

 

Sasuke closed the door gently behind Naruto. After forcing some food down his throat and helping him work out a way to help Nori learn to control the beasts, Sasuke decided that it was time he sent Naruto home with his still-sleeping son.

It had been a long and eventful day—even more so than Sasuke had expected when Naruto had talked him into sparring.

 _As he was leaving with Nori’s head drooping on his shoulder, Naruto had turned back and smiled—a real, bright Naruto smile. The kind that warmed Sasuke to the core. The kind that made him feel like love wasn’t just something that brothers had for one another—maybe it was something_ more _._

_“I think this calls for a rematch,” he’d said, grinning._

_“I’m always ready to beat you again, Naruto. You just have to ask.”_

_“You wish!” Naruto laughed. Sasuke felt heat pool in his gut._

He leaned against the closed door, forgetting, for a moment, the part of their fight when all hell broke loose. Instead he thought about the good part, the part where he’d felt alive for the first time in years. The part that reminded him that not only was he attracted to Naruto’s personality and the way he smiled and made Sasuke feel like he was worth something—he was attracted to _everything_ about Naruto.

He was attracted to the way Naruto moved and the glint in his eye that Sasuke could only admit in the comfort and solitude of his own home—was _sexy_.

Sex had been such an abstract concept for Sasuke until _that night_. And _that kiss_.

Because leave it up to Naruto to stir within Sasuke a need that he had managed to tamp down and crush for years—so much that he wasn’t even sure he had a sex drive at all.

But that kiss, _god_ , that kiss. It wasn’t just lips pressing against lips, it was _want_. It was everything Sasuke had ignored and everything he’d always subconsciously dreamed all at once, crashing over him like waves.

It was no wonder he’d electrocuted Naruto—the sensation had been so new and foreign. And _good_.

In Orochimaru’s hideouts, sex had been everywhere, all around him. He’d had to grow accustomed to it quickly, and learn to deal with it even quicker. Some of his most valuable training came from keeping away predators that stalked and coveted him, claimed to see something about him that was sexual, that they wanted. Sasuke wanted nothing to do with it. It was unnecessary. Juvenile.

And it was the same with Taka. Suigetsu got with women from time and time, and Karin never missed an opportunity to flirt with him. He ignored it for the most part. It was easier.

And then when he came back to the village it seemed that everyone was of an age where it was all around him again. He’d overheard Naruto talking about it with Kiba and Choji and Shikamaru. He knew back then that Naruto was still inexperienced, from the way he ooh’d and aah’d over Shikamaru’s relationship with Temari.

It hadn’t fazed him; it barely even made his radar. And then that kiss changed everything.

It was like all the sexual energy he’d repressed all those years when he was too busy concentrating on everything else collapsed in on him, focused entirely on Naruto. He’d felt like an animal, like he was obsessed. All it would take was seeing Naruto and his heart would pound and blood would flow.

He would almost be embarrassed to admit the amount of time he’d spent of the four years not speaking to Naruto with his hand wrapped around himself, imaging that it was Naruto’s hand. Hell he’d even fantasized about Naruto sleeping with his wife, how he probably kissed her and touched her and loved her and how Sasuke couldn’t believe it had taken him so long to realize that he wanted to fuck Naruto. How he could have possibly interacted with Naruto before without realizing how rich his voice was, how good his moans would sound. Or how soft his hair was, and how every touch shared between them was like a pull of gravity that could force him to his knees.

He wondered countless times if Naruto had ever felt it? If that was why he’d kissed Sasuike that night, just out of curiosity over the strange tension between them.

Their spar was still in his mind. It had been short, but had confirmed all the suspicious Sasuke had over the years: his body and Naruto’s body _worked_ together.

He bit his lip, remembering how it felt when their limbs crashed against one another’s, how Naruto’s gaze had been so blazingly locked on Sasuke and no one else.

There was a knock on his door, just on the other side of his head. He took a deep breath and opened it. Karin greeted him with a raised eyebrow, said nothing, and stepped through the threshold.

She wasted no time—she never did—stripping off her jacket and letting her hair down from the ponytail it was in. Sasuke didn’t want to waste any time either, he was too hyped up, still too raw and needy from his fight with Naruto. He moved fast, pinned her to the door as it slammed shut, removed her glasses and tossed them with perfect aim onto her jacket. She giggled, kicking off her shoes with ease.

“Oo~oh, Sasuke! You’re eager today!”

He replied with a harmless glare and she rolled her eyes.

“I know, I know. No talking. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve done this.”

Sasuke flinched at the remark; he didn’t even want to think about how many times he’d done this. Instead he just spread his palm against the door to steady himself as she sunk to her knees and opened the fly of his pants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaah, I'm sorry! Yes! Sasuke sleeps with Karin sometimes! It's not like a slut shaming thing though. He's not using her... well he kind of is. But she's cool with it! 
> 
> I debated back and forth about Sasuke's sexual history and while my initial instinct was to keep him a virgin the whole time (because I think canon Sasuke is more or less asexual), I was drawn to the idea that Naruto sparked desire in him and he actually chose to act upon it, and Karin just lent herself to the situation. 
> 
> Anyway... sorry! If this isn't what you were expecting. This might be a kidfic but I was trying to make it clear that neither Naruto or Sasuke are kids, so this is kind of my way of awkwardly jumping into that. 
> 
> Next chapter will hopefully come sooner!


	8. An Enemy Approaches!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seems just anyone can read Sasuke like a book these days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter is still a chapter! Working on getting this story back on track! Thanks for sticking with me, guys! I really appreciate it!

He got curious and desperate and a little bit drunk, once. After _that night_. After the kiss.

And Karin was there, and it was so simple and easy. She acted the same way she always did, flirty and overly physical, hinting at the things they could do together, and all Sasuke had to do was not turn her down. And he didn't.

And because it was so simple and so easy the first time, it had happened more than once. Usually Sasuke kept himself from calling on Karin until he absolutely couldn't take it by himself anymore, until it felt like he would go insane from loneliness and unresolved feelings, and then he would call upon Karin and she would come every time. Even with that, Sasuke could probably count the number of times he'd been with her on two hands. He wasn't proud of it, but if he was honest with himself there wasn't much he was proud of.

When he got out of the shower she was still there, lying on top of the sheets and staring out of the half open window at the drops that were falling from the storm drain. Her glasses were perched back on her nose and her hair was done in a messy bun on the top of her head.

It didn't bother him that she was still there—he trusted her in a strange way. She had no illusions about what they were doing and she was there of her own volition. He wasn't tricking her or trying to manipulate her by giving her what she thought she wanted. She knew what she wanted and she knew what she was going to get, and that was Sasuke's body, sometimes, when he was desperate enough to call her.

He knew it didn't bother her, not like it would have when they were young. It was a mutually beneficial relationship and she knew she shouldn't test it. Sasuke trusted her enough to know she would leave before morning and that she wouldn't say a word; she never had before.

She didn't turn when he stepped out of the steamy bathroom, but spoke as he was wrapping his towel around his waist.

"Does it ever feel like you're cheating on him?" She asked, finally turning her face to him, illuminated by the lampposts from outside. "You know, Naruto?"

In a flash Sasuke was atop her, kunai in hand and pressing just at the centerline of her throat. He hadn't activated his sharingan but his pulse was pounding faster than it had even been earlier that night. She locked eyes with his and raised a red eyebrow.

"I think I've proven by now that you can trust me."

He held the knife to her throat for several more seconds but finally exhaled slow and pulled it away when he couldn't think of a reason why her words could be untrue.

She leaned back, grinning.

"So? It doesn't feel like cheating?"

"Drop it," he grunted, walking back across the room to pick up his towel and continue drying off.

She giggled and he actively ignored her. Even with her unnervingly intuitive comment, he felt more relaxed than he had in a while. He felt like all he wanted to do was get Naruto in that training area again and spar. When they'd been sparring he swore he saw _something_ in Naruto's eyes. Like Naruto was really looking at Sasuke, at every part of him, and he liked what he saw. He liked what he saw and _wanted_ it.

He frowned, oblivious to Karin slowly getting dressed behind him.

It was probably just a trick of the light.

* * *

Neji forced himself to forget every night so that he could sleep without the dreams haunting him. When he woke in the mornings there were a few blissful seconds where he still didn't remember her death, and then the memory and the rage crashed into him and he spent the next few minutes curled in his sheets wishing he could go back to forgetting again.

He saw her everywhere—in the flowers near his house, in the courtyard where they used to train, in Hiashi, in Hanabi, and more than anything else in Nori, who had so much of her in him that it hurt him to his core when he smiled.

Neji had loved little Nori the moment he met him. He almost felt as though it was his duty to love him, to make up for so many years of needlessly hating Hinata. He knew he spoiled Nori and he didn't care because Nori was the product of his precious cousin and the one person in the world who had made the most difference in his life: Naruto.

Yes, Neji loved Hinata and he missed her terribly and he cursed the nin who'd ended her life so early—but he had accepted many years before that he had feelings for Naruto Uzumaki.

He wasn't sure when they started or even when he realized he had them for the first time. All he knew was that he never, ever, ever had any plans to act on them and was content watching Naruto and Hinata's family grow and flourish from the sidelines, a silent protector.

But then she died. She was gone, leaving her husband and her son to fend for themselves. When he first learned of her death he was in the Hyuga compound, and his explosion of chakra shook the room. He'd been retrained until a team was sent out to bring the murderers back to him. He'd had his turn with one of the mud ninja and he'd done things that he knew would be with him for the rest of his life, but he didn't regret a single one.

Once that small and unsatisfying bit of revenge was over, he'd felt empty. Lost.

And then he thought of Nori—and Naruto.

He thought of the two of them alone and sad and he knew they would need more protection than ever. He felt like he owed them his protection, if only because he'd already failed to protect the one person he was always meant to give his life protecting.

And then he thought about Naruto, and really thought about everything for a long time and decided that Naruto and Nori were too precious and important for him to sit on the sidelines anymore. He wanted to be there for them when sad things happens and he wanted to still be there when happy things happened and he wanted _Naruto_. It was petty and greedy and it felt like the hugest disrespect he could pay her to try and seduce the husband she left behind, but he wanted Naruto and the family that came with him so badly that none of that mattered.

And he thought at first that he had a chance. He would wait, to be respectful, and for Naruto to get on his feet and maybe start working towards moving on. And then all he would have to do is be there for him, for them, and eventually he would confess and maybe Naruto would consent and maybe he wouldn't, but Neji was willing to take that chance if it meant getting to be a part of their lives in a real way. He'd had it all planned out.

And then along came Sasuke Uchiha.

* * *

"Remember, Nori, if you can't learn to control them, I'll have to get Aunt Karin to seal your friends away so they don't come out when you don't want them to," Naruto said, facing his son on the training field as Sasuke watched on the sidelines.

Naruto had explained some of the incident with the mud to Nori. Just enough to convince Nori to some training to try and control them better.

The boy had been upset at first that his father had found out about the beasts the way he did. He thought he'd done something wrong though both Sasuke and Naruto denied it vehemently. He'd been somber and quiet until Naruto explained the training they would do together so that Nori could control the beasts better. Nori had been downright excited by the idea—Sasuke thought because it meant spending time with his father. He couldn't help but notice that he saw Naruto and Nori separately more than together if only because of how busy Naruto was getting with his Uzushiogakure project.

"I'm work hard!" Nori said back, nodding seriously. Sasuke helped Naruto consider his options for the beasts that first night. They both worried that Nori's health would suffer if their chakra was removed, but they were dangerous the way they were. Helping Nori learn to control them seemed like the best option but he was still a child and there was only so much he could do on his own against the raw power of 9 wild monsters in his head reacting to any spike in his emotional or physical state.

They knew they couldn't tell many people, only those who needed to know; Sakura and Kakashi and Iruka, the main three who looked after Nori whenever Sasuke wasn't with him. The three of them took it well and knew to be careful when they were with Nori in case he lost control again.

And then Naruto decided they needed to tell one other person.

"Uchiha," Neji sneered, striding over to the spot Sasuke was standing watch as Naruto explained the connection between emotion and chakra to his son.

"Hyuuga," Sasuke replied coolly. He didn't care for Neji Hyuuga.

They didn't speak again as they stood watching the training between father and son with careful eyes. Sasuke knew he should concentrate on Nori in case he seemed on the edge of blowing up again but his gaze drifted every moment to Naruto. He quickly became distracted watching the way Naruto moved.

He seemed to go in a daze watching him, completely unaware of anything around him. That was probably how he forgot about Neji standing beside him and allowed the Hyuuga to see the honest expressions on his face while watching the Hokage.

All he knew was that time had slipped away in a blink before he realized it and he drew his eyes away from Naruto to notice that Neji was staring at him. His eyes were mean and cold and Sasuke steeled his own to glare back, trying not to worry about the accusatory look in the Hyuuga's eyes. He'd done noting wrong watching over Naruto and Nori as they sparred.

He should have known better than to underestimate someone's eyes.

Hyuuga gave the miniscule tilt of his chin, up and over towards the trees on the far edge of the field Naruto and Nori were training in and casually began walking in that direction. Sasuke followed.

" _I can't believe you knocked her up before you were even married! I should punch you in the jaw for touching our sweet little Hinata like that!" Kiba barked loudly. He was laughing but there was a glint in his eye that made it seemed like he wasn't entirely joking._

_Sasuke wished he was anywhere but there, stuck hiding behind a wall avoiding Naruto as soon as he'd walked into the same bar Sasuke was in with Kiba and Shino by his side. It was a bit surprising since he'd never known Naruto to be particularly close to Kiba and especially not to Shino. Shino, because he freaked Naruto out and Kiba, because whenever they were around each other they argued and Kiba always wound up in a bad mood._

_But that was before_ that night _and before Sasuke had decided to avoid Naruto and his newfound happiness._

 _Though he certainly hadn't expected to hear about Naruto's potential_ child _in such a sudden and uncomfortable way._

" _Come on, Kiba. I—it's not all my fault, is it?" Naruto whined. "And it's not like it was exactly planned, you know!"_

" _Of course it wasn't planned! Who the hell plans to have a baby at age 22? I'm just saying you should watch your back. And don't even think about abandoning Hinata and your kid or you'll have us to deal with."_

_He motioned to Shino and himself and the latter nodded his agreement, cutting Naruto's objection off and adding in a blasé tone only Shino could use,_

" _Not to mention Neji."_

_Kiba cracked a howling laugh._

" _Oh_ shit _, Naruto! I forgot about Neji! He's gonna kick your ass BIG time! That should be fun to watch."_

" _You really think he'll be that mad?" Naruto grimaced. Sasuke wished he could turn off his ears._

" _He might kill you!" Kiba cheered. "You know, Neji used to be a real asshole—especially to Hinata—but he's different now. I've seen him do stuff to protect her that might be illegal if anyone else found out. He treats her like she's a damn doll and you_ knocked her up _!"_

" _It_ would _be interesting to be present when you tell him," Shino agreed, and Naruto pushed him, scowling nervously._

Sasuke knew that Neji was Hinata Hyuuga's protector—the details of it were lost on him but he understood that the connection between them was strong. He could understand Neji being protective of his late cousin's only child, but the way he was glaring at Sasuke when they reached the edge of the trees seemed like something more than mere familial protectiveness.

"What do you have to say?" Sasuke spoke first, asserting himself in some prehistoric show of male dominance.

"What do you want with Naruto and Nori?" Neji asked out right, crossing his arms.

Everyone seemed to want to ask him that lately.

"Naruto came to me. We're friends and he—"

"You don't look at him like a friend looks at a friend," Neji cut him off, eyebrows furrowing deeper, gaze like white daggers.

Sasuke paused, observing the man standing before him, taking in every little detail, dredging up every fact he knew about him. It became clear to him in a flash of insight and his eyes widened a fraction from the shock of it.

"Neither do you," he countered.

Neji flinched. He was caught.

"You want him," Sasuke accused ( _as if he had any right_ ).

"So do you, Uchiha. Don't deny it."

First Karin and now Neji Hyuuga? Was it a coincidence or was it something else? Was it obvious in the way he was looking at Naruto lately? Had it always been obvious to those who looked closely? Who else knew? Sakura? Kakashi?

He kept his cool, didn't let it show on his face. It didn't matter anyway. Karin wouldn't betray his trust and Neji, well; he couldn't expose Sasuke without exposing himself.

"Why should I? Apparently we're in the same boat."

"Don't lump me in with you!" Neji spit back. Sasuke felt a flicker of annoyance that Hyuuga would be so averse to the comparison.

He couldn't believe after all the years since _that night_ he'd spent carrying the secret of his desires towards Naruto and the one to make him come clean is another Hyuuga, the cousin of Naruto's deceased wife. And as it turned out, another man with desires for Naruto just like his. He wondered when Neji came to terms with his feelings? When did he first picture Naruto as his?

The idea of it made Sasuke's skin crawl.

It wasn't just the idea of Naruto—the man he had feelings for—being with someone else. It was Naruto—his best friend—being with a different man, confiding in someone who wasn't him. It felt wrong; unnatural. He tried to stop thinking about it.

Neji was still glaring at him and Sasuke was cursing his life's misfortune. He already had no idea how or when to make his intentions clear to Naruto and now he had a rival for Naruto's affections. Not to mention a rival who hadn't ignored and abandoned Naruto for three years.

He was at a disadvantage.

And yet, it was clear that Neji hadn't made a move for Naruto yet either. Maybe he wasn't at as great of a disadvantage as he thought.

"Why now?" Neji hurled the question at him, thick with frustration. "You think you have some claim to him even though you couldn't be bothered to speak to him after—after he got married. What was it? Couldn't stand seeing him _happy_? You're such a—"

" _Sasukeee! Neji!"_ Naruto's voice called out from the other side of the field. He and Nori were waving at them. Sasuke saw Neji drop his defenses instantly. Sasuke took a breath. " _Let's go get ramen_!"

Neji caught his eye but said nothing else as the two of them made they way back over to the blonds and the four of them trudged off to Ichiraku.

* * *

The meal was tense, but Naruto and Nori seemed not to notice. Naruto, because there was ramen in front of him and Nori because he was too excited about the promised mochi after dinner. He ate his food as quickly as he could and tugged on his father's sleeve to try and get him to move faster.

"Alright, alright, this is my last bowl. Promise," Naruto grinned, and Nori pouted but nodded his head. As soon as his father finished he was out of his seat.

"Let go, Dad! Let go!" He squeaked brightly, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm coming!" Naruto groaned standing up, rubbing his stomach. "Alright! Mochi time!" He glanced at Neji and Sasuke. "Are you guys coming?"

"I think I'll skip the mochi tonight," Sasuke replied.

"I'm too full," Neji added with a smile Nori's way.

Naruto shrugged, slowly being pulled away by his son in the direction of the mochi shop. He turned and in one smooth motion picked Nori up and placed him on his shoulders. Nori's giggling echoed back into the ramen shop.

From the corner of his eye Sasuke saw Neji's shoulder's relax, his facial expression soften. It stayed that way until Naruto and his son were out of view.

"He's a good father," Sasuke admitted softly.

"Yes," Neji agreed, then added, "but Nori would be better off with a mother, too."

Sasuke didn't have anything to say to that. The two stayed in silence for several moments and then Neji finally broke it, sighing heavily.

"You aren't good for him."

"And you are?"

"I didn't say that," he was staring at the counter in front of them. "But yes."

"So why haven't you made a move?" Sasuke asked.

"For the same reason you haven't, Uchiha." He took a deep breath and turned around. Sasuke followed suit and they both stared out of the ramen booth at the people milling around. It was getting late but there were still groups of people shopping and laughing with one another down the block.

"We're just two pathetic dogs fighting over her leftovers, aren't we?" he posed and smiled sadly. "We just can't accept that she got there first. She'll always be first in his heart. She'll always be a part of Nori."

Sasuke had been avoiding thinking about that. He didn't want to come to that realization but here was Neji Hyuuga, shoving the truth of it in his face.

"I'm better for them," Neji added after a moment. His voice had lost the melancholy quality it had possessed. He was determined, intent.

"You are trouble and conflict. You always have been. Leave Naruto and Nori out of your life."

"If they want to be in my life I won't stop them."

"Then you are as selfish as you look," Neji sneered, glaring again. He stood and walked to the street before turning back.

"Nori is my family. Naruto is… he is important to me. I won't give them up without a fight."

Sasuke gave no reply but his black gaze, holding Neji's white one for several moments before Neji finally walked away.

* * *

The walk home was solitary and Sasuke should have been used to it by now, but it felt longer and even lonelier than it ever had before. He felt one step farther from Naruto. When Nori's secret came out he thought it would bring them together, let them bond over protecting the secret and Nori himself, but then Neji intervened and to make it worse he saw through Sasuke as though his byukugan could see his feelings for Naruto glowing inside him like chakra.

He just wanted to get home and sleep the days, the months, the years off, but as soon as he reached his apartment his senses went live—there was someone inside.

He moved silently away from the front door, around to the side of his bedroom. He noticed the window was open and wondered who would be careless enough to leave it like that. He was halfway through it when it occurred to him that it could have been a trap.

Then he saw into the dimly lit room and just picked out broad shoulders and blond cropped hair. Naruto was facing the other way on his bed, tugging on a piece of string as the cat chased after it. Instantly part of Sasuke relaxed while another part of him leapt to frenzy.

He saw Naruto's shoulders perk up and then he turned around to see Sasuke climbing the rest of the way through the window. He grinned, tossing the string to the side as the cat followed it off the side of the bed.

"There you are!" Naruto was whispering for some reason, as if he was trying not to wake someone. "Why did you come through the window, too?"

"Why did _you_ come through the window?" Sasuke asked in a normal tone.

"Oh," Naruto answered, grinning sheepishly. "Nori's not here I don't have to be quiet so he doesn't wake up. Your front door was locked."

"So wait outside like a normal person."

"I knew you'd be back soon," Naruto shrugged.

"What are you doing here?" he'd just seen Naruto earlier and it hadn't seemed then like Naruto had been eager to talk to him about anything. Not that they would have had a chance with Neji tagging along like some overly cautious babysitter.

"I want to show you something," Naruto replied, his eyes gleaming in the low light pouring into the room. He stood from Sasuke's bed the same moment it occurred to Sasuke that Naruto was _on_ his bed, which was probably for the best. Sasuke wasn't feeling very careful around Naruto today; he didn't know what could happen.

"Show me what?" he asked, and was glad Naruto was probably too dim to hear the want in his voice.

Naruto stared at him and grinned.

* * *

"This is what you wanted to show me?" Sasuke couldn't help being less-than-impressed by the destination Naruto had taken him too: the rooftop of the hospital Sakura ran. The one he sometimes worked at with her. He'd come up to this rooftop with her before for lunch or just a break from the more puzzling cases. It was a normal rooftop.

"You don't remember?" Naruto asked, gleefully impatient.

Sasuke frowned at him then looked around the moonlit roof. Nothing struck him right away.

"We had that one fight up here, remember?" Naruto prompts, edging closer to Sasuke and staring out over the roof with him.

As soon as he said it the memory came back. It was so long ago it wasn't surprising that Sasuke would have forgotten, though in hind-sight it was probably one of the most important days of his life. The first time he almost killed Naruto.

"We almost killed each other," Naruto explained, though he sounded more nostalgic than regretful, like those were the good days.

"Why would you want to come up here?" Sasuke had to ask. Naruto shrugged.

"I was thinking about it after our fight the other day. Maybe if we'd been better at sparring for fun back then we wouldn't have exploded at each other so intensely just because we wanted to fight."

 _Maybe if we took out our tension with each other in a different way we wouldn't feel the need to fight at all,_ Sasuke thought, but managed to keep to himself. He was wandering over to the water tower that Naruto's rasengan was crashed into. It had to have been replaced ages ago. It was already rusting.

"The hospital was really damaged after Pein's attack but this was the one rooftop that stayed intact," Naruto murmured, running a hand along the side of the water tower where Sasuke was staring. He had to dart his eyes away because watching Naruto's hand made him want _other things_ from that hand. When he looked back at Naruto he was a bit surprised to find Naruto staring at him. The blond quickly looked away but his expression made Sasuke's pulse jump.

He walked to the edge of the roof and sat with his feet dangling off the side, staring out into the night.

"Don't fall, dobe," Sasuke teased, walking over to sit beside him and look out into the night himself.

There wasn't an abundance of stars because the lights from the ever-busy hospital erased them from the sky, but the moon was a little over halfway full and the night was cloud-less, the air crisp. Sasuke took a deep breath in.

"I need to thank you," Naruto finally said, "again." Sasuke was wondering when he'd explain why he brought them here.

"For what?"

"Everything… with Nori. I know it isn't easy. Being a dad is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm so nervous about him all the time, wondering if he's in danger or if he's going to get sick or if he's happy—but when he's with you I'm not worried. Even before I found out about the beasts. You've saved him from himself twice now and I can't repay you but I can thank you, even though it feels stupid."

"Why does it feel stupid?"

He saw Naruto smiled from the corner of his eye.

"Because we aren't supposed to be nice to each other," he replied, glancing Sasuke's way. "We're supposed to be throwing deadly jutsu at each other and damaging perfectly good roof's."

Sasuke smiled and shook his head.

"And thanks for stuff like today, too," Naruto continued, to Sasuke's surprise. "You don't have to spend your time looking out for Nori and I appreciate it. Like I said, I don't feel as nervous if you're there too."

"Hn," he replied, thinking about the turn the day had taken. "What about Hyuuga? He seems like he's looking out for Nori too."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Neji's been great. He made me and Hinata swear not to tell anyone, but he cried the first time he held Nori." Naruto chuckled. The sound of it was like a perfect sunrise and Sasuke's chest hurt.

"Seemed like the two of you were talking about something serious earlier…" Naruto prodded slyly, changing gears. Sasuke shouldn't have been surprised that he noticed; Naruto had never been as oblivious as everyone made him out to be.

"We were just getting to know each other."

"Ah," Naruto nodded. "It uh, didn't seem like it was going very well. There was some glaring. I think Nori was worried you two were about to fight."

"As if it would be any decent fight," Sasuke scoffed. "I don't know him very well but I don't think we're going to get along."

Naruto snickered behind his hand and Sasuke whipped his head around.

"What?" he questioned sharply.

"Ehhh," Naruto rubbed the back of his head with his hand, staring off into the sky. He glanced at Sasuke, a little nervous, a little mischievous. "I just think you and Neji... Well, you're kind of similar?"

"I have nothing in common with that tactless, self-superior Hyuuga," Sasuke spat.

Which was a _blatant_ lie. He and Neji, at the very least, shared a similar taste in idiot bond Hokages…

Naruto reared his head back laughing. Sasuke glared at him from the corner of his eye as Naruto laughed.

"I missed that about you!" Naruto said, catching his breath. "I forgot how honest you are. You don't give a shit what anyone thinks so you just say whatever you're thinking!"

 _Not always,_ Sasuke thought. _Especially not to you._

"It was over three years, wasn't it?" Naruto questioned, and Sasuke frowned. He'd thought they had a silent agreement that they weren't going to talk about the reason they'd started avoiding each other and yet Naruto was bringing it up like he could be talking about the weather.

"Something like that," Sasuke answered carefully.

"Three years is a long time to go without your best friend, but I guess I had Hinata and Nori for most it of. Still, it was weird without you… around that much."

Sasuke wanted to tell him, just come out and talk about _that night_ and Sasuke's stupid mistake and the mistakes after that. It seemed like Naruto was waiting for him to bring it up. This was the most they had talked about it ever since Naruto came to him asking to be friends again.

Sasuke's chest was tight, the words and questions on the tip of his tongue—and then Neji's voice filtered into his mind, numbing his conviction like a drug.

" _We're just two pathetic dogs fighting over her leftovers, aren't we?" He'd said. "We just can't accept that she got there first. She'll always be first in his heart. She'll always be a part of Nori."_

If he told Naruto the truth and Naruto refused him because his love for her was too strong Sasuke knew he would leave and this time he wouldn't come back. The truth burned inside his chest, but the risk was too great. There were too many things he still didn't know, too many uncertainties. Every time he thought that _maybe_ Naruto kissing him that night was intentional he can't help but remember how drunk they had been, how the entire night was fuzzy and warm and unclear. How hurt Naruto had been when he'd shocked him away and shouted at him to leave—like Sasuke was punishing him for something he hadn't even meant to do.

But this was a chance he couldn't pass up!

Naruto was finally talking about it, finally acting like it really wasn't as big of a deal as Sasuke had made it out to be. If he just asked then maybe—

"You didn't date anyone in all that time, did you?" Naruto asked, tilting his head curiously.

Sasuke stomach dropped to lead. He answered on instinct, voice flat.

"No."

"I should have known," Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sasuke Uchiha, forever depriving the women of Konoha of dating him because he's too antisocial to actually _go_ on a date. You should try being with someone, you know?"

His voice was too kind, too genuine and honest, full of heartfelt concern for his friend— _friend_ and nothing more. And all Sasuke could think about was how much he wished he could take Naruto back to his apartment, back onto his bed, close the window and lock the door and never let him go.

There was a chance he was antisocial, but it was certain that Sasuke was beyond saving.

The admission filled his stomach like lead but Naruto didn't notice.

"Even now I don't think Sakura would say no," Naruto was telling him, standing and starting to walk to exit the roof. Sasuke followed silently after him as the man he was desperately, tragically in love with rambled on, oblivious as ever to the pain inside him.

"I know for damn sure Karin wouldn't say no! I know she's my cousin and everything but she really doesn't know how to let go, huh?"

 _That makes two of us,_ Sasuke though hopelessly.

* * *

"So, yeah…like I said," Naruto swallowed thickly. This was a bad idea. "I, uh, have to go out to Uzushiogakure again, for a week this time, and I was hoping… that you would… uh, take care of Nori, um, while I was gone?"

His voice had gotten very small at the end and he swallowed again.

"I would be happy to watch Nori while you're gone," Neji replied, smiling a tight fake smile and adding, "though I wonder exactly why Uchiha is here for this meeting as well? Surely you just needed to speak to me about this matter."

"He wants both of us to watch Nori, idiot," Sasuke answered, crossing his arms and glaring at, well, nothing in particular. If Naruto didn't know Sasuke so well he would be worried that Sasuke was going to get his face stuck in a permanent glare.

Actually, that idea was kind of funny when he thought about it. He had to school his expression so neither of the grumpy men in front of him thought he was laughing at them, though if he was being honest he kind of was laughing at their weird tension and obvious hatred for each other. If he was being really, really honest he would admit that forcing the two of them to babysit his son while he was away was his sneaky way of trying to see if the two of them could learn to work together and then, maybe, with a little more time, someday they might even get along.

"Anyway," he interrupted quickly, "I leave tomorrow and I was hoping you two could both stay at my house with Nori so he doesn't have to move between the two of you? Thanks! Nori is going to be so excited! You two are definitely his favorite babysitters in all of Konoha!"

Naruto had thought he was immune to the Uchiha and Hyuuga glare at this point in his life, but he had to admit even he began to sweat when the two of them both directed that mean stare towards him instead of each other.

 _Oh well_ , Naruto thought, _I guess it's an improvement?_

* * *


	9. Dueling Babysitters!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah! I'm back! So a lot of random jumbled mess of stuff happens in this chapter... but at least its something.

Sasuke knew going in that whatever Naruto’s intentions were for having both he and Neji watch his son while he was away, this week was going to turn in a competition with Naruto and Nori’s affections as the prize—and Sasuke did not come empty-handed.

“Muchi!” Nori squealed as Sasuke let the cat land heavily on the hardwood floors. The mangy thing had been very complacent when Sasuke grabbed him on his way out, almost like he knew Sasuke would be taking him to his favorite kid.

“I thought he would like to stay here for the week,” Sasuke told Nori as the boy bent to pet a line down the cat’s back. Muchi wandered around the front room aimlessly, as if it was nothing new to him, then into the kitchen looking for some food.

“T—thanks for binging him,” Nori blushed, pulling on his jacket. Sasuke smiled; he was coming to associate Nori’s nervousness to happiness. Something Sakura said about his shyness around Sasuke meaning he liked him was slowly making more and more sense. At least the boy wasn’t as shy as he had been, hiding behind Naruto’s leg whenever he appeared.

“Do you see what I’ve brought, Aonori?” Neji interrupted, butting into the moment just to distract Nori from Sasuke’s gift of the cat.

Neji sidestepped around Sasuke, holding out a bag to Nori, who gasped and took it eagerly.

“Mochi!” he cheered, opening the bag and grabbing one of the ice cream balls inside.

“Tanks Unca Neji!” he said through a mouthful of ice cream.

Sasuke crossed his arms and snorted. Of course Neji would bring Nori his favorite treat; that was too easy. He caught Neji’s glare from the corner of his eye and sneered back.

“Wow, Nori,” Naruto said, leaning down to talk to his son face-to-face. “Look at what they brought you! I knew they would be good at taking care of you while I’m gone.”

“Do you have to go?” Nori said, voice high and light, and a little sad. Naruto heard the sadness but quickly smiled, standing up and picking Nori up with him.

“It’s only for a little while I promise next time I go I’ll bring you with me!”

“Can Sasuke and Uncle Neji come too?”

Naruto glanced at the two of them who were still standing by the door.

“Of course they can come! Who will I count on if they aren’t there?”

“You should get going soon, Naruto,” Neji chided, nodding to the clock. Naruto sighed, fixing Nori with a gaze.

“Alright be nice and tell those good-for-nothing beasts to keep their cool for once, not that I think you’ll get in any trouble while I’m gone with these two watching you. I love you, Nori.”

Sasuke felt his heart stutter. Why was it that seeing Naruto acting so fatherly affected him in a very _not_ child-friendly way every single time? He saw Neji shift beside him, and saw him glance towards the floor, lips pressed firmly together. At least he was in good company.

“Love you too, Dad,” Nori said, pressing his forehead against his father’s.

At that point Sasuke looked away, too. There were some moments between father and son that were too special to look at, and those were the ones that cut Sasuke a little deeper. Those moments were the ones he could see the bond between Nori and Naruto as clear as day, could see how strong and real and powerful that bond was. It reminded him of a time when he could honestly say that the only bond Naruto had with anyone that was that strong was the one he had with Sasuke—and how long ago those days really were.

“Alright! I’m off!” Naruto announced, tossing Nori easily into the air and then setting him on the ground. “Don’t miss me too much, Nori!”

“Come on, lets go put the rest of these mochi in the freezer for later,” Neji said, taking Nori’s hand and leading him into the kitchen, leaving Sasuke and Naruto at the doorway.

“Thanks again for watching Nori, Sasuke. Wish me luck.”

“Don’t—“ _die,_ he meant to say, but the words stuck in his mouth.

Naruto looked at him quizzically.

“Don’t leave Nori for too long,” he said instead. “He get’s lonely.”

“I won’t,” Naruto laughed, turning and taking a step towards the door. “A—and I wouldn’t want you to get lonely without me either,” he added, hand on the doorknob.

Sasuke blinked. His brain wasn’t thinking fast enough to come up with a response to that—that strangely flirtatious remark? It occurred to him suddenly that he and Naruto were alone in the front room and Naruto was, unless Sasuke was going insane, flirting with him?

“Uhh, anyway,” Naruto shook his head, opening the door and grabbing his bag. “Watch out for Nori and try to get along with Neji. See ya!”

He sped out the door and tried to shut it quickly behind him but Sasuke was just a second too fast, grabbing it before it slammed closed and stepping into the opening. Naruto turned back to him, eyes wide in the setting sun. “ _It’s easier to travel at night when you’re with the leader of Konohagakure,”_ Shikamaru had said.

“I would be lonely, Dead Last. Watch yourself.”

Naruto’s head was turned so Sasuke couldn’t see his face, couldn’t tell whether he was smiling or blushing or confused. But then Naruto slowly raised one hand in a thumbs-up and kept walking. Sasuke crossed his arms and leant against the door, rolling his eyes.

He wasn’t sure what that was but it felt like… something.

“Are you planning on helping at all with dinner, Uchiha?” came Neji’s disdainful voice from behind him. Sasuke scowled, looking back at him.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

 

The first few days weren’t as bad as Sasuke had predicted they would be. He only contemplated decapitating Neji three times and activated his sharingan once. The sharingan he played off to Nori as a way to chop onions faster but then Neji activated his Byakugan just to quickly look into the other room to find Nori’s stuffed cat and it became something of a competition of eyes that led to nowhere good.

“When will my bakugan ativate Uncle Neji?” Nori chirped as Sasuke deactivated his sharingan. These days he noticed that the longer he used it the more it made his head hurt.

“I don’t know, Aonori,” Neji said, leaning down and placing a hand on top of the boy’s head. “Maybe we should train some tomorrow and see if it activates. If you’re like your uncle Neji you can get it as old as you are now. I activated mine around your age.”

“When did Momma get hers?” Nori asked so softly that Sasuke barely heard it but he saw the way Neji tensed at the question.

“It took your mom a little longer, but once she got it she was very strong,” Neji answered.

“Will I be stong?”

“Of course.”

“Good,” Nori nodded seriously. “Cuz I have to be stong to potect people.”

It was the first time Sasuke and Neji really acknowledged each other since they’d started watching Nori. They caught each other’s gaze upon hearing Nori’s declaration and something passed between them—understanding.

“Who do you have to protect, Nori?” Sasuke asked lightly.

“Dad,” he said first, right away. He was very serious all of the sudden. “Uncle Neji, Aunt Sakura and Uncle Kakashi, Muchi, Aunt Temari and Asume and Shishika, all my fends—“ he put his hand on his head, then turned to Sasuke and pointed. “—and Sasuke.”

“Sasuke can protect himself,” Neji grumbled. “You don’t need to worry about him.”

“I do! I do!” Nori disagreed. When he shouted his voice only got higher and cuter. Sasuke smiled down at him.

“If you want to protect me you’ll need to become stronger than me first.”

“I’m gonna be stonger than you _and_ Dad!” he squeaked, and he had the same fire in his eyes that Sasuke remembered so much from Naruto’s youth. That determination and refusal to ever give up. He had a feeling Neji was remembering the same thing.

“I can’t wait to see that,” Sasuke replied.

  
“Me too,” Neji muttered. “Could be amusing.”

Nori glowed up at them until Neji told him to go brush his teeth for bed.

Once Nori had been put to sleep Neji reappeared in the kitchen where Sasuke was doing the dishes from the day. He spent several minutes staring at the back of Sasuke’s head until Sasuke couldn’t be bothered to ignore him anymore.

“Have something to say?”

Sasuke didn’t have to look back to know that the Hyuuga hesitated before answering,

“You’re better with Nori than I would have thought.”

Sasuke smirked but didn’t turn around. He took a plate from the sink and ran it under the warm water. His hands were getting wrinkled, but his skin was always easy to wrinkle in water.

He heard Neji pull out a chair and sit at the small table, watching him wash the dishes.

“Don’t feel like helping?” he asked pleasantly. Neji ignored the jab.

“Do you wonder what he was thinking?”

“Who?”

“Naruto. Having us watch Nori together like this. What was the point?”

“Does Naruto ever think things through? He was probably being overprotective because of the Beasts. What, did you think he had some kind of _plan_?” Sasuke scoffed.

“You and I should know better than to underestimate his strategizing.”

Sasuke considered that but didn’t answer on the grounds of not wanting to agree with the smug bastard. It ticked him off to think that someone like him knew that much about _his_ Naruto.

“Maybe he figured us out,” Neji mused blithely.

Sasuke placed the dry dish on the counter slowly, glancing behind him to see Neji staring off in the distance thoughtfully. He picked up the next plate more carefully, running it under the water for longer before picking up the soapy sponge.

“Figured what out?” He finally asked.

“How we both _feel_ about him.”

Sasuke frowned, remembering the way Naruto had been as he left, all bumbling and flirty. Sure, they teased each other and Sasuke sometimes felt like there was an undercurrent of _something else_ but that was different. That wasn’t under or hidden that was in plain sight. He shook his head at the ridiculousness of the idea. Naruto wasn’t an idiot _really_ , but he certainly wasn’t good at picking up cues.

He said so to Neji, who surprisingly agreed.

“No, you’re right. Hinata was in love with him for _years_ and he never had a clue. But if he did notice, maybe he planned this to force us together?”

Sasuke spun around to stare at him, holding a spoon and dripping soapy water onto the floor. He exhaled sharply from his nose and decided to ignore anything else Hyuuga might say. Sasuke didn’t know why he’d been listening in the first place. He washed the spoon and put it with the other clean silverware.

“It would make sense,” Neji continued, despite Sasuke’s determination to ignore him. “He doesn’t want to let either of us down so instead he sets us up to get together. It’s too bad we can’t stand each other. His plan would never work.”

“That isn’t his plan,” Sasuke replied through gritted teeth. The idea of anything happening with Neji was appalling to him. He can’t believe Neji would even think of something so unappealing.

“No, of course not,” Neji agreed. “You aren’t my type anyway. Besides—“

Sasuke tensed as Neji’s body slid just behind his, one of the Hyuuga’s hands sneaking along his hips. His lips brushed the back of Sasuke’s ear. He was grinning.

“—have you ever even _been_ with a man, Sasuke?”

“Have you ever bled to death, Neji?” Sasuke replied, somehow keeping his cool. He had the kitchen knife he was halfway through cleaning pressed to Neji’s throat.

Neji dropped his hand and backed away slowly.

Sasuke exhaled and the tension left him—why he was so tense in the first place he didn’t know. He had nothing to fear from a pathetic Hyuuga branch member trying to make some pointless pass at him. He dropped the knife in the sink and placed his hands on the counter, breathing slow. He knew Neji was still in the room, staring and waiting. He hated to think that he was showing weakness but somehow he knew Neji wouldn’t take it that way, just the way he knew how fake Neji’s ploy had been. He took another deep breath and asked calmly,

“If it turned out he was in love with me, would you leave him alone?”

“Would you?” Neji countered instantly, as if he’d been expecting the question.

Sasuke’s decision not to answer was answer enough.

“And that’s why I would be better for him,” Neji said firmly. “I’m the better man.”

Sasuke smirked, though he felt anything but amusement.

“Better men don’t always win, Hyuuga.”

Neji snorted and walked out of the kitchen. Sasuke turned back to the sink to finish the dishes, wishing he actually believed his statement and wishing not for the first time that he were a better man.

* * *

 

At the beginning of the week Nori had been as cheerful as a puppy but as the days went on he grew forlorn and somber, less and less interested in training or playing cards or anything but waiting by the window for Naruto to return.

Both Sasuke and Neji tried as hard as they could to keep his spirits up but it was clear to both of them that he only wanted his father back and nothing they could do could make Naruto return any faster. He wasn’t even as excited to go to the mochi shop as before. His mood only made he and Neji more irritable towards each other. At least before they could try and act civil for Nori’s sake, but he barely paid them enough attention to bother any more.

“Maybe if you weren’t lurking around unneeded he wouldn’t feel so bad, Snake.”

“We both know the unneeded one is you,” Sasuke hissed back. He was tired of dealing with Hyuuga and honestly annoyed Naruto had ever asked the two of them to watch his son together. Sasuke still couldn’t explain what Naruto had been thinking.

They stopped bickering when Nori came out of the washroom in a cloud of steam. Sasuke smiled at him, wrapped in his towel with wet hair dripping in his eyes. Neji had been in charge of getting him bathed but had left him to soak for a moment to check on something else. Apparently Nori had finished before Neji got back.

Nori looked up, staring between the two men, and then promptly started to cry.

The night only went downhill from there. He and Neji bickered about the best way to stop Nori crying. Neji had a comforting approach while Sasuke thought Nori was being a baby and he needed to toughen up.

“He’s three,” Neji deadpanned.

“And a half,” Sasuke added, though the argument sounded idiotic even inside his own head. “But he usually isn’t this childish. Naruto shouldn’t have left him if he was just going to cry the whole time.”

In the end Nori stopped crying neither from Neji’s comforting or Sasuke’s blunt demands, but because Muchi the cat came over and distracted him. Sasuke wasn’t sure how much longer he could put up with Neji always breathing down his neck, criticizing his every word. Let alone watch Nori grow more and more unhappy and unstable every day that he was away from his father. The end of the week rolled around and Sasuke let Neji stay with Nori in the morning as he headed to the main gate waiting for Naruto and the others.

By noon he was more frustrated than ever and went to join Neji and Nori back at the house, hoping that Naruto was only a few minutes behind. Instead when he reached the house he found Neji trying to console Nori, who was throwing an earnest and heartfelt fit.

“You’re lucky he hasn’t lost control of the beasts,” Sasuke said over Nori’s screeching. “What did you do?”

Instead of an answer, Neji handed over a slip of paper.

_Sasuke and Neji,_

_Unfortunately, I will not be able to return in the time I promised. There have been countless delays and problems have come up that need my immediate assistance. I know this is an inconvenience and Nori will be upset… But he’s tough like his dad! He’ll be okay!_

_I swear I won’t be too long, and I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m sorry for putting this on you guys, but you have no idea how much completing Uzushiogakure means to me and the people who have gathered to live here. Hopefully solving these problems won’t take more than another week and then I’ll be back home as fast as I can!_

_Before he left Shikamaru set up a base in a village at the southernmost tip of Land of Hot Water, if you need to reach me._

_Thanks again, and give Nori a big apology kiss for me!_

_Nanadaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto_

“I told him that Naruto wasn’t coming back today and he started screaming,” Neji explained, though Sasuke could have assumed that was what happened. Nori was still sprawled on the ground, pounding his fists and demanding in his high little voice that his father come back _now!_

Sasuke exhaled. Though he didn’t do much of anything, it felt like it had been a long day. He could tell Neji had had his fill of the day as well; his exhaustion from dealing with a dramatic child showed on his face. Sasuke blocked out Nori’s screaming for a moment, thinking things over. With another heavy sigh, he knew what they had to do.

He knelt to Nori’s level and waited for the boy to look at him.

“I can’t make your father come home today,” he explained, and instantly it seemed Nori was prepared to argue and cry some more, but Sasuke continued before he got a chance.

“We’re going to go to him.”

* * *

 

Neji, of course, insisted on going with them. He also reminded Sasuke several times that he had already been planning on taking Nori to Naruto but Sasuke had just said it first.

They didn’t leave until about midday, later than Sasuke would have liked, but he had never travelled with a child before and he quickly learned that it took more time and a lot more effort. Not to mention the delay at the main gate right as they were about to start their journey.

Nori had stopped at the edge of the gate and refused to go any further, starting up another crying fit that Sasuke quickly grew frustrated by. Nori simultaneously demanded to see his father yet refused to leave the village, a paradox that baffled Sasuke but seemed to make perfect sense to the three and a half year old. It didn’t become clear to Sasuke until Neji reminded him that it was while they were travelling that he and his mother were attacked and she was murdered before his eyes.

Sasuke wasn’t feeling very patient, anxious to get to Naruto as quickly as he could—something inside of him felt off without the blond close-by. It wasn’t a feeling he could say he remembered feeling for quite a long time, but it bothered him nonetheless.

“I’m the most powerful shinobi in the world,” Sasuke explained, Nori’s wide, tearful eyes upon him. He ignored the snort of derision from Neji and went on.

“I haven’t lost in a real fight since I was 16, and even that was to your father.” He was tempted to say that even back then he’d let Naruto win, but it was not necessarily the truth, so he left it out.

“If someone is going to try and hurt you, they’re going to have to get through me. Is that going to happen?”

Nori had to think about it for a moment, then he shook his head.

“Good. Now lets get going before the sun starts setting.”

They began walking through the gates and Nori’s bird-like voice piped up cheerfully,

“And even if a bad guy beat Sasuke, Unca Neji would still potect me!”

Sasuke ground his teeth, staring and walking straight ahead as Neji agreed vehemently and scooped Nori up to ride on his shoulders. Sasuke could already predict that he would spend the rest of the trip with a very smug Neji Hyuuga.

The journey was a fairly short one, even travelling with a child. Nori was in good spirits for most of the first morning, and then after noon it began to rain.

There were just little sprinkles at first; Sasuke barely noticed them, but Nori’s disposition changed instantly. He stared up at the greying sky, huddling closer to Neji as they walked. And then the thunder started and he slowed, casting glances at every shadow, every break in the trees or curve in the path. Sasuke was growing impatient with their pace. He had thought they worked through Nori’s fears before they left. It must have been raining when they were attacked and the sudden change in weather was reminding him of his mother’s death.

Very suddenly, Sasuke felt a fluctuation in Nori’s chakra. Since he was still a child, he didn’t have much chakra to begin with, but all of the sudden it flared, shifting even the air around them. Neji felt it too and caught Sasuke’s eye. It happened again a moment later, just as a loud clap of thunder sounded around them. Sasuke felt Nori’s chakra spike, felt the imposing aura of the beasts, and saw Nori’s demeanor change for just a second before it went away.

It was beyond fear—he felt threatened. And it was causing him to tap into the protection of the beasts, something that Sasuke did not feel inclined to deal with, not to mention want to explain to Naruto once they got to him.

He was considering putting Nori to sleep, just until the rain stopped, and he activated his sharingan as a way of asking Neji if he thought it was the best plan. He was fairly sure Neji wouldn’t argue—the Hyuuga was already tense, sensing Nori’s chakra on his own—but to his surprise Neji shook his head and stopped walking. He held his hand out to Sasuke and muttered,

“Let me handle this.”

Sasuke wasn’t sure what he was planning to do, but he nodded. If he didn’t have to use his sharingan it was better that way. He stood by as Neji bent down to Nori’s height and asked the boy if he would walk over towards the trees, a ways back down the road. Nori frowned but agreed and the two of them walked away, just out of Sasuke’s range of hearing. He watched Neji bend down to Nori’s level again, his back turned so Sasuke couldn’t read his lips as he spoke to Nori. The expression on Nori’s face shifted several times, but Sasuke wasn’t sure he could really tell what Nori was feeling in response to whatever it was his uncle was telling him. At the end Nori’s expression was set, a little frightened and a little reverent, but mostly just decisive. Neji nodded and stood, taking Nori’s hand and walking back to Sasuke where they continued down the road. Nori didn’t say anything else, but he kept his gaze straight on the road in front of them and Sasuke knew he would have no more trouble with the beasts’ chakra—whatever it was Neji had said, it had been affective.

He was curious what could have made Nori so instantly secure but he had a feeling it was not his place to know.

After that, it took them a little less than a day and a half and they were already in the Land of Hot Springs and a farmer explained that they were only about an hour from the village Naruto had described in his letter. The skies cleared and once Nori understood how close he was to his dad he grew excitable again, bouncing along down the road a few feet ahead of Sasuke and Neji.

“Should we have tried to inform Naruto that we were coming?” Neji pondered aloud, and Sasuke shrugged in answer. It struck him in that moment that this short trip hadn’t been the disaster he would have guessed it would be five days ago. The night before, when they’d stopped to stay at an inn, he and Neji had very amicably split feeding and putting Nori to sleep. They didn’t say much to each other, but they didn’t argue either.

Damn Naruto, but spending all this time with Neji actually had made the two of them begrudgingly able to stand one another. Not that he would ever admit that. And he suspected that Neji wouldn’t be quick to admit it either.

Surprisingly, Neji’s question was answered only a few moments later, when a figure appeared at the bottom of the hill they’d just reached the top of.

“Dad!” Nori cheered, starting to run down the slope to meet his father. Sasuke scooped him quickly up to carry him the distance so he didn’t fall down the hill in his rush. It wasn’t as if he had to go very far, as Naruto had begun racing up to meet them as soon as he heard Nori’s chirping voice calling to him. He was smiling, which seemed like a good sign that he wasn’t angry that they had brought his son all the way from the village to see him.

Naruto swept his son up into his arms the moment he reached him and as usual the sight was precious made him even more attracted to Naruto. Sasuke let a sigh slip from his lips and at the same moment he did, heard another sigh from behind him. He turned to match glares with Neji—he changed his mind, he and the Hyuuga had not grown any closer.

“You guys must be tired!” Naruto called back to them, Nori looking small and content on his hip. “I booked us rooms at a hot spring in the village to relax tonight. We can all go in together after dinner!”

Sasuke caught Neji’s eye again and loathed to find the same thing pass through their minds: _this should end well_.

“Where is Shikamaru?” Neji asked Naruto halfway through their meal.

“He decided to head back to the village. You know Temari is due soon. I was in sage mode and I sensed you guys coming about midday and haven't been able to get anything done since then, but this whole trip has been a bit of a disaster, anyway” he admitted, shoulders low.

“How so?” Neji inquired, and Sasuke inclined his head to show his attentiveness as well. Even Nori was listening in, though he was trying to listen and finish eating at the same time.

“It’s gotten… complicated,” Naruto admitted, frowning. “It’s all way over my head, but maybe you guys would understand it better? It’s a clan dispute.”

“What clan?”

“The Uzumaki Clan.”

“I thought there were no true Uzumaki clan members anymore? After the village was destroyed the clan spread out among the nations. You and Karin both have Uzumaki blood but there’s no way to know whether either of you have any true lineage because the line has been broken for so long,” Neji reasoned.

“Was your mother from a main branch of the Uzumaki clan?” Sasuke found himself asking.

Naruto turned to him and he seemed surprised, like he almost didn’t know that Sasuke knew anything about his family. It took him a moment to reply.

“I—I don’t think she was. It didn’t seem like it, anyway. I wish she had been, though, then this would be much easier. If they were looking to me I would just disband the whole clan. Uzushiogakure doesn’t need a group who want to use something as meaningless as blood and lineage to gain control… but some of these people seem to really care about using the clan’s influence to help the village grow, and having a true Uzumaki leading them really matters to them. If only it hadn’t gotten so complicated!”

“How did it get compicated, Dad?” Nori piped up, his food forgotten in front of him. Naruto smiled down at his son, frowning thoughtfully.

“Lets see, how do I explain it? Ok, well there’s this one smaller group of people who already have a lot of money and a lot of power. Their family name is Shiomaki and they say that the head kid in their family is the true Uzumaki heir. Make sense?”

Nori nodded.

“But then,” Naruto sighed, “there’s another group of people, a big group, who all say that they found the real Uzumaki heirs, this kid named Kota and his sister, and they want Kota to lead the new Uzumaki clan instead of this other family. There’s been a lot of arguing and so far no one has come up with an answer. Both sides think they have the real heir.”

“Who do you think it is?” Nori asked. Something flashed in Naruto’s eyes.

“I don’t know,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I guess it could be either of them. There isn’t really a good way to tell. They both claim to be able to trace back their lineage but the records of the Uzumaki Clan are long gone, so it’s impossible to verify anything.”

“Which of them has the most Uzumaki-like chakra?” Neji asked.

Naruto sat upright and turned towards him like he’d never heard anything like that before. Neji stared at him curiously.

“What do you mean?” Naruto asked, inclining his head.

“You Uzumaki’s have distinct chakra, I can’t really describe it. It’s a quality that the byakugan can see. Of course I didn’t realize it was Uzumaki specific until I met Karin. A lot of people have distinct chakra qualities that set them apart, but the Uzumaki chakra is one of the easiest to identify. I’ve sensed it several times since I realized what it was, a few times in people who probably didn’t even realize they had it. You didn’t know? You have that quality to your chakra stronger than Karin does, so I assume you have more Uzumaki blood, or yours is more pure in some way.”

Sasuke found himself annoyed at how Naruto was staring at Neji, like he’d just given him a clue to some mysterious puzzle. Sasuke had to admit it was an interesting topic as well; he’d never bothered to learn more than necessary about the Hyuuga and their byakugan, but it appeared to be more useful than he expected.

“Do I have Uzumaki chaka too, Uncle Neji?” Nori asked shyly.

Neji smiled at him and nodded.

“Of course. You have Uzumaki blood passed down from your father, and from his mother to him.”

“Does this mean you could use your byakugan to tell which child has the claim to the head of the clan?” Naruto asked, drawing Neji’s attention again.

Neji nodded. “Of course.”

With a sigh, Naruto relaxed back into his seat, the tension easing just a bit from his shoulders, where Sasuke knew he carried all of the stress that built up being the Hokage and the Man who united the nations in peace. He loved the moments when Naruto was able to relax. It reminded him of the past, where there was only the weight of excitement on Naruto’s shoulders and everything wasn’t so messy. It was easy, in those moments, for Sasuke to almost forget his attraction to Naruto that made everything so complicated—to think of Naruto just as a friend first, his best friend.

“Neji, you’re my savior,” Naruto smiled at the Hyuuga from across the table. Sasuke didn’t miss how Neji’s smirk in response was angled in his direction.

* * *

 

The resort was probably nice, and the evening was probably cool and temperate, and the springs themselves were probably steamy and warm, but Sasuke was having a hard time noticing any of that with Naruto sitting just a few feet from him, sweaty and wet, and completely nude. Naruto was letting Nori swim in the pools of water, trying to teach him different strokes and laughing when Nori splashed and squirted water at him. It was nice to see Nori cheerful again, but it was bordering on painful watching Naruto grin and laugh with his son when he just looked so damn _edible_ doing it.

“If you do your arms and legs out like this, you look like a frog!” Naruto explained, face flushed from the hot water. There was a bead of something—water or sweat, Sasuke couldn’t tell—gathered just above Naruto’s upper lip and it was… mesmerizing. Sasuke could feel himself slipping.

“I’m going to cool down,” he said, standing and holding his towel. Somehow he managed to keep his voice steady when he spoke but his legs felt a bit shaky getting out of the water. Nori told him to hurry back and swim with him and Naruto laughed, the sound of it ringing through Sasuke’s ears. He tried to shake his head to clear it and nearly ran into Neji who was sitting on the steps going up to the rooms, already dressed for dinner.

“Did it become too difficult to stay?” Neji teased without really asking.

“I lasted longer than you did,” Sasuke bit back, taking a seat beside the Hyuuga. Neji had only stayed in the springs for five minutes before he said his head felt light and excused himself.

Neji didn’t argue, just stared into the sky and said,

“You would think it would be easier to control your urges when he’s around Nori, but it’s worse, somehow. Don’t you think?”

Sasuke figured his lack of answer was answer enough.

“At least Sai isn’t here,” Neji sighed, leaning his elbows back on the step above. He looked surprised when he saw Sasuke’s face and laughed harshly.

“What? You haven’t noticed? Sure, Sai acts like he’s above it, but when it comes to Naruto he’s just as much man as you and me. I’ve always wondered whether he’s ever made a move.”

Sasuke growled low, under his breath, and Neji smirked.

“And then, of course, there’s the Kazekage, who’s so smitten you can see it practically leaking from his pores if Naruto’s within 90 feet of him.”

Sasuke clenched his fists, thinking about how kind Gaara had been to Naruto at Hinata’s funeral, how he can’t believe he never noticed it before. He didn’t want to believe it was true.

“You’re just paranoid,” Sasuke told him.

“Think what you want, Uchiha. If you can’t see it then it only proves that my eyes are better than yours.”

Sasuke snorted in derision, knowing better than to give Neji the rise he desired. A gust of cold air brushed past them and Sasuke shivered.

“Do you know when I fell for him?” Neji asked softly, and it wasn’t the cold that had Sasuke shivering again, but the tone of his voice, gentle and awed, like an innocent child.

“No,” Sasuke replied, and he wanted to add that he didn’t want to know but the words died on his tongue. He didn’t want to sympathize with Neji, to see himself in Neji’s shoes. They were not the same; they were not even similar. And yet…

“Our chunin exam battle. You, of all people, know the thrill of fighting him,” Neji said, voice barely above a whisper. Sasuke could hear Naruto and Nori still giggling and playing in the springs.

“Fighting him is a different thrill. And that first time, when I didn’t think for a moment that I would lose… he gave me everything by defeating me in that exam. He gave me purpose back, and family. He gave me Hinata.

“I hated her for what I thought she represented, but deep down it was because I was trying so hard to stop feeling like it was my duty to protect her. But it was. Not because I was from the branch family and she from the main family, but because she was worth protecting. I would have given my life for her.

“But there was a time when I could have killed her, and Naruto saved me from that. That’s what he does. He saves people from themselves.”

That was one thing Neji didn’t have to explain; Sasuke knew _that_ better than anyone.

Beside him, Neji seemed to tense up.

“Nori is the product of the two most important people in my life. I thought I could stand sharing him, sharing both of them, but I was wrong. I’m selfish and I don’t want _you_ near them.”

And here Sasuke thought he and Neji were finally beginning to get along. He glanced over and noticed how close he and Neji were sitting, with Neji’s flat white eyes glaring at him like the Hyuuga gained some fresh hatred. The air between them was heated, tension building to sparks.

“You don’t own them. I’m not going anywhere,” Sasuke said through his teeth, trying to match Neji’s glare.

“I’ll do what it takes to keep you away,” Neji said, leaning in closer, practically whispering the threat into Sasuke’s ear. His hand was stretched and pressing against the wall Sasuke hadn’t realized he was sitting so close to, trapping Sasuke there. He felt his chakra building, readying for a fight. The hair on the back of his neck was bristling. “I’ll _fight_ for them.”

Sasuke shot his hand out, curling around the fabric at Neji’s throat and drawing the Hyuuga even closer, an equally fierce threat ready before they were suddenly interrupted.

“Over here Nori, I found them—oh!”

Sasuke pushed Neji back, springing away. When he turned to Naruto his stomach fell to his feet—Naruto’s eyes were wide in shock. He’d seen them pulled close together, heated up from their argument, and he assumed the wrong thing.

“I’m sorry, I—“

“No,” Sasuke tried to counter firmly. “Naruto, this isn’t—“

But it didn’t get through and Naruto turned quick and ran right into his son, who had hurried after his father.

“Dad, you foud them!” Nori squeaked when he got his bearings. “We have to made them come pay table tennis with us!”

“Maybe later, Nori,” Naruto said, lifting his son to his shoulders and walking them back inside the resort. As soon as they were gone Sasuke spun on Neji.

“Now look what you’ve done!” He was furious to see that Neji seemed quite pleased with himself, and he stood, determined to set the misunderstanding straight, following in the direction Naruto had gone with Nori until he was in front of Naruto’s room. He paused an inch from the door and then knocked. It took Naruto a good few seconds to answer and Sasuke had to wonder what was going on in his head—his face was red and he avoided Sasuke’s gaze as he stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

“Naruto,” Sasuke began, not allowing himself to be distracted. And then realized that if he wasn’t careful, he could incriminate himself of something that Naruto never even considered. He dropped his offensive energy by a fraction and asked instead, “what did you think we were doing? Why did you lead Nori away?”

“You and Neji were fighting, right?” Naruto asked, though he continued to avoid Sasuke’s eyes. “It’s okay if you argue but I feel like it could upset Nori. You know, he likes both of you so much. I don’t know if he would be happy… if he thought you didn’t get along. Especially since,” he continued, and Sasuke took a deep breath of relief because _of course_ Naruto wouldn’t assume the situation he stumbled into was sexual. Not only would that never occur to him because he and Neji were both men, but he was _Naruto_. He had never been known to be especially perceptive.

“Especially since Nori was going on about how well you and Neji worked together while you were watching him.”

Sasuke wondered whether if Nori was a really good liar or if Naruto was just that dim. He and Hyuuga had barely made it the week; it was amazing until now to really be at each other’s throats. If he were being honest, the reason they’d come to meet up with Naruto had more to do with not wanting to spend any more time forced together than it did Nori missing his father.

“I just didn’t want you to think,” Sasuke improvised on the spot, “that we were fighting about… you or Nori. It didn’t have anything to do with that, Naruto.” Sasuke knew he was a good liar, and it was better not to let Naruto worry about his issues with Neji Hyuuga.

“What were you,” Naruto paused strangely in the middle of the words, catching Sasuke’s eye for the first time since he’d open his door, “ _fighting_ about?”

“Nothing important. We shouldn’t have let it get so intense.”

Naruto stared at him hard for a long moment, face unreadable. Sasuke’s heart pounded and he wasn’t even really sure why.

And then Naruto’s face split into a grin and he laughed.

“I knew it was nothing!” he said cheerfully. “I shouldn’t have been so worried!”

“Yeah,” Sasuke agreed softly. Something seemed… off, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it might be. “Yeah.”

“Whatever you’re fighting over,” Naruto added, “ I hope it’s worth it.”

_“I know you aren’t spending time with Naruto lately,” Sakura chided, mere months after that night. Sasuke still hadn’t made the final decision to stay out of Naruto’s life, was still debating everything over and over in his mind, regretting everything he’s done wrong. He didn’t need Sakura reminding him about his mistakes all the time. He didn’t even reply to her commentary, concentrating instead on the mission they’d been sent. He saw her roll her eyes in response to his silence._

_“Whatever you two are fighting about, I hope it’s worth it.”_

And Sasuke almost told Naruto everything right then, like he’d almost done so many times before. But once again the truth was more than he could handle. The magnitude of his mistakes seemed to only grow and grow, like snow that was building on top of him every moment he spent around Naruto and one day he would surely be buried beneath it.

 _“I’ll_ fight _for them.”_ Neji had said.

“It’s worth it,” Sasuke replied, eyes blazing.

 _“I’ll fight for them, too.”_ He thought, and with that he turned to leave, knowing now that the time to tell Naruto the truth, the real reason behind everything that happened, would soon be upon him. He was ready.

He would _fight_ for Naruto.

* * *

 

Rivalry and competition were familiar companions for Sasuke and Neji, though competition for romance and attention was new to them both. Neji would scowl and swear any similarities between himself and the Uchiha were purely superficial and that _his_ intentions were honest, heartfelt, and genuine. Sasuke would balk, glare, and scorn any who would compare him to that Hyuuga, who was nothing but an annoyance and persistently found himself in the way of Sasuke’s goals. They never would realize or admit how similar they could be, alike even in their stubborn avoidance.

It was a shame, but they would never open up and share their experiences with one another, finding comfort in the shallow understanding. They would never learn that the friendship they so admired between themselves and Naruto could be had, to a lesser extent, between each other. So is jealousy, as it blinds and muddles things that should be simple in nature.

Neji Hyuuga, for instance, would never know the insignificant feeling he shared with Sasuke Uchiha of disdain for the gifts they’d been given. He would never know how much Sasuke could relate to wishing at times that he had somehow been born without the ocular advantages both of their clans were known for, so that perhaps they could have been spared the pain that came with it.

As Neji’s eyes stared through the walls of the resort, into the hall where Sasuke followed Naruto to confront him, the familiar thought occurred to him as he tried to ignored the jealousy and waves of defeat that rolled over him as he watched the interaction he knew he had no right to spy on, and that thought was that having the byakugan seemed to cause him more pain than it ever caused him joy.

It killed him to see it but he felt compelled to spy on the interaction only to be faced with Sasuke’s conviction, the set of his shoulders, the way Naruto’s eyes sparkled and his own body language changed when Sasuke was close, the atmosphere around them that Neji only had to see to understand, the words that went unsaid, the past, present, and future they shared, the reluctant way they parted and what hurt more than all of it combined, the way Naruto looked at Sasuke when he knew Sasuke couldn’t see him, with so much longing Neji could do nothing but close his eyes and walk out into the refreshing night air to get away from it all.

He made his way further into the town to discover it surprisingly lively and bustling; it felt much later than it was. Every inn and stand was full of friendly chatting people, laughing and drinking, completely unaware of Neji’s mood. No one even seemed to notice him, though usually his eyes drew stares and whispers. It was refreshing but filled Neji with loneliness. _She_ was heavy on his mind.

He found himself heading towards the coast. He never would do it aloud, but he found himself talking to her in his head from time to time.

 _I don’t think I was ever meant to have him,_ he thought, finally admitting it to himself.

He wished she were there, to—he wasn’t sure what he thought she would do or say to him now. He felt as though she didn’t ever have it in her to be angry or protective of her husband. When it came to Naruto, Hinata was so selfless and sacrificing that if Naruto had wanted it, she probably would have shared him. At least, that was what Neji thought.

In fact, Neji knew it was true. Something sparked in his memory as he wandered alone that evening. It was something he heard Hinata say once. It stuck out to him at the time, too, because she’d said it with such humble honesty that Neji knew it was something she’d thought about before.

It was during a ceremony, a new year or anniversary of something or other, and Naruto was speaking to a crowd of people, waving and smiling and feeding off the energy of the crowd so he seemed to physically glow. Neji had been with Hinata, of course. She was holding Nori; he couldn’t have been a year old yet.

 _“Isn’t it difficult to share him with the whole village?”_ he’d asked.

She’d seemed surprised by the question but just smiled serenely and replied,

_“He’s too much for just me to have.”_

Neji felt the same way now. Like it was almost foolish of him to think he was enough to have all of Naruto. Even Hinata couldn’t manage that.

Sasuke was sitting on the outside steps of the resort when he returned. The night had turned cool and the hot springs made the air around them steamy and hard to breathe. Despite that, Neji took a deep breath.

“What do you like so much about Naruto?” he asked before the Uchiha could get in any questions or annoying accusations. “What is it that draws you to him so strongly?”

If Sasuke was surprised by the question he didn’t show it.

“He’s part of me,” he answered after a reasonable pause.

“We all know about your destined reincarnation crap,” Neji spit, hating that that was all there was to it. That _destiny_ was once again there to tell him what he could and couldn’t do.

“It’s not that,” Sasuke replied with equal venom—though not directed, surprisingly this time, at Neji. “It’s never been that.”

He sounded as though he, too, hated the idea of being cosmically coerced into a situation that he didn’t choose. He waved his hand, frowning.

“That’s beyond our control. It isn’t up to us,” he said. Though Neji would never be able to know this, it was something Sasuke had sat and thought over for great lengths of time. He struggled to word the answer he’d reached through his meditation on the subject and settled on the simplest explanation.

“We chose each other.” Then he quickly wrote Neji off, sure he wouldn’t be able to comprehend something that could only be understood by one of the two people who shared such a strange connection. “You wouldn’t understand.”

It took Neji several minutes to fully admit defeat but then it was just there, staring him in the face. Of course it came down to choice—and not his and not Sasuke’s—it had always come down to Naruto’s choice. That was where Hinata had the both of them beat. She’d known that all along.

“You’re wrong,” Neji finally said, “choice is something I do understand.”

He left the Uchiha with that, and nothing more.

* * *

 

“Nori,” Naruto called his son over and Nori came running. He was still ecstatic to be back with his father, even if they had to travel so far to find him.

“I want you to meet Kota,” Naruto said, standing just behind a young boy—he looked about 9—and an even younger girl holding the boy’s hand tight, “and Kirari.”

Sasuke watched Nori smile wide and wave politely, wondering once again what it was about him that had turned Nori so shy in the beginning.

Kota and Kirari were the children that the majority of the new habitants of Uzushiogakure believed to be descended from the main branch of the Uzumaki Clan. They did both have Uzumaki red hair, though a darker shade than Karin’s. The boy had a familiar look to him. Not a look that made Sasuke think he’d seen the boy before, but a look that made Sasuke feel a strange kinship to him. It wasn’t a surprise if Naruto sensed the same thing. Just by watching them Sasuke could see that Naruto was protective of the pair of children. And from what Sasuke had seen of the villagers, they were just as protective.

Naruto had left Nori to get to know Kota and Kirari and came over to where Sasuke and Neji were standing, waiting for the Shiomaki Clan to arrive to see who would be the head of the new Uzumaki Clan.

“Kota is a really good kid,” Naruto explained as he watched his son get to know the other kids. “Kirari too, but she doesn’t talk much. Kota says she hasn’t since they lost their parents.”

“They’re orphans,” Sasuke nodded with dawning realization. No wonder something had seemed familiar. Kota stood with the posture of someone who didn’t want to get too comfortable, too secure, only to have everything taken from him again. He was mature for his age, overly observant, suspicious of any situation that might leave him emotionally vulnerable. Sasuke was surprised Naruto hadn’t adopted the two children already.

And then Sasuke noticed the villagers circling, waving and smiling at Kota and Kirari, encouraging Kirari to play some kind of clap game with Nori. One man ruffled Kota’s hair and a woman handed him a stick of some kind of food to eat. Sasuke saw the cautious, unsure way Kota accepted the gestures. He was sure it would be some time before the boy felt safe enough to trust anyone again—why get close to someone if they’ll only leave you, too?

Sasuke knew his feelings all too well, but he was sure that if the two stayed with the villagers long enough they would be able to be happy again. He was reminded of Naruto’s plan to build an orphanage in Uzushiogakure and wondered if these two were the inspiration.

Kota was beginning to warm up to Nori, not to anyone’s surprise. It had been said before, but Naruto’s young son had inherited his hidden ability to make anyone fall for him. The girl Kirari even smiled as Kota offered to share some of the snack one of the villagers had given him with Nori. A small group of the villagers that Sasuke guessed had taken a special interest in watching out for the two young Uzumaki orphans were huddled nearby; close enough to observe the children without directly interfering.

“This is yummy,” Nori said, licking his lips of the sauce that had covered Kota’s snack, “but mochi is better.”

He then tried to explain to the two others what mochi was and why it was so delicious. They both looked very interested to try it. And then Kirari shyly whispered something to her brother and he shook his head, frowning. Nori was curious, and asked what Kirari had asked Kota.

“She wanted to know what we were doing here today, and I told her I wasn’t sure. But it has something to do with the Shiomaki clan, right, Nori?”

“Yeah!” Nori cheered, excited to know something that he could explain to his new friends. “My uncle Neji has bakugan and he said he could use his eyes to see who is more ‘Zumaki and who will be the better leader of the clan!”

And then Sasuke watched all of the color drain from the young boy’s face, and anxiety bubbled up in his stomach. Neji and Naruto were talking to some of the villagers and didn’t seem to notice, but Sasuke did, and so did Nori.

“Ah you okay, Kota?” he asked, his little voice chirpy and concerned. Kota had a tight hold on his sister’s sleeve and was looking around him anxiously—like he was looking for a way out.

Sasuke was just about to approach him to see if he could determine what it was that made Kota suddenly panic but it was just that moment that the Shiomaki clan arrived.

They entered the area in a large, noisy, flashy group. They were not as great a number as the villagers, but they walked and held themselves like they were. They pushed through the villagers like they didn’t even see them, not stopping to let anyone get out of their way but barreling in like they already owned the whole village.

Sasuke could see why the villagers, and Naruto, might not want this group to be any kind of leading force in the new Uzushiogakure. They had money and it was clear from their clothes and accessories they were not afraid to use it.

There was a boy towards the front of the group not much older than Kota who Sasuke assumed was the head of the clan. His face showed absolutely no fear of the question of his status. He sneered when he saw Kota, who was still clutching his sister tightly and staring around like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was.

“Shimi,” Naruto approached the boy, almost man, with a diplomatic grin on his face. The boy nodded in Naruto’s direction and then looked away, so Naruto shook hands with several other members of the Shiomaki clan, though Sasuke could tell it was only out of politeness.

“Okay!” he announced, and Sasuke’s eyes darted towards Kota again, just to make sure the boy was still there. There was genuine fear in his eyes now and even Neji had noticed that something was off. He was looking at the boy, too.

“Now that our Shiomaki clan friends have finally arrived, we can get this simple test over with and let it be known who will be the next—“

“Naruto, before we begin, I need to speak to you,” Neji interrupted, much to everyone’s surprise. “Privately.”

He pulled Naruto to the side and surprised Sasuke by allowing him to be a part of their private conversation as well. He still kept an eye on Kota as they wandered a bit away but it was clear the boy had nowhere to go.

“The boy and girl,” Neji explained quickly, “they have no Uzumaki chakra in them.”

“None at all?” Naruto grimaced, and Neji shook his head. “I was afraid of that.”

“You knew?” Sasuke was surprised. He wouldn’t have thought Naruto to notice something like that.

“I suspected,” Naruto shrugged. “I just really hoped I was wrong, for Kota and Kirari’s sake—not to mention for Uzushiogakure’s.”

“Now that I see the Shiomaki clan I understand why,” Neji agreed. “They’re pompous and think themselves better than anyone else, flaunting prestige they did nothing to deserve.”

Naruto nodded. This was getting complicated. Sasuke was still watching Kota. He looked even paler than before and jumped whenever a villager appeared to give him some kind of advice or encouragement. Nori had picked up on the elder boy’s anxiety and was staring around himself, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“He lied to the villagers,” Sasuke realized. “They were looking for someone to have claim to the Uzumaki name so they wouldn’t have to give power to the Shiomaki’s and he used it to his advantage, so he and his sister would have somewhere to go.”

Naruto nodded and Sasuke felt a rush of affection for him. Naruto had likely suspected that much all along but still wanted to help the boy any way he could.

“You were right to tell me before the test, Neji,” Naruto switched instantaneously into Hokage-mode. “I’ll have to figure out what to do now.”

“Leave it to me,” Neji told him, placing a hand on his shoulder and then walking back towards the groups of people before Naruto could even argue.

“Shimi,” Naruto beckoned to the Shiomaki heir, anxiety carefully masked underneath his professional demeanor. Shimi held his head high and stepped to where Naruto directed him. “Kota,” he added, nodding towards the boy who was still standing beside his son, panic clear in his eyes. The boy hesitated, glancing around at all the smiling, encouraging faces of the future villagers of Uzushiogakure. He took a deep breath and stepped away from his sister—who still seemed to understand that something was bothering her brother—and stood beside Shimi, who didn’t even give him a second glance.

“Today we will finally decide which of these two young men,” Naruto announced so the whole crowd could hear, “will claim the title of Head of a newly reorganized Uzumaki Clan, the clan that will be in charge of setting up a shinobi hierarchy and defense of the new Uzushiogakure.”

Sasuke hadn’t realized the clan would have so much power and say in the governing of the new village and understood Naruto’s hesitancy to re-establish it in the first place. He wondered what Neji’s plan was, but the Hyuuga had seemed very confident.

“Kota and Shimi,” he addressed the two boys, still projecting his voice so he could be heard, “both of you will summon your chakra and Neji will use his own clan’s talents to see which of you has the strongest traces of Uzumaki chakra. This test will be definitive and once Neji has determined the new Uzumaki clan head there will be no further disputes, do both sides agree?”

He turned first to the Shiomaki clan and though there was scattered grumbling, they were convinced their Shimi was the rightful heir and they eventually agreed. When Naruto turned to the villagers there was much less grumbling, they talked among themselves and then an older gentleman spoke their agreement. Naruto nodded and then turned to Shimi and Kota and nodded again.

Shimi summoned his chakra instantly, with ease. Though he didn’t have much chakra, even Sasuke could see the training he’d received as the heir of a somewhat prestigious clan; he had excellent control.

Neji activated his byakugan but Kota hesitated again, staring from his sister to the villagers, until one of them shouted out his name.

“You can do it, Kota!”

“Yeah! Kota is the best!” another villager shouted until they were all cheering for him. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and gathered his chakra. It was powerful, but it wasn’t Uzumaki. Sasuke had sucked Uzumaki chakra straight from Karin’s skin and he’d spent too much time training with Naruto before then not to notice the similarity. Back then he’d thought it just a strange anomaly—it was barely noticeable anyway—but he should have thought more about it, considering how similar his and Itachi’s chakra was. If anyone there had been as familiar with sensing Uzumaki chakra as he was they would have noticed it too, but they were lucky. He still wasn’t sure what Neji was going to do—would he simply lie and say Kota was the true heir?

“I’ve seen enough,” Neji announced just as the though crossed Sasuke’s mind, and he saw the Byakugan deactivate. Shimi and Kota dropped their concentrated stances and there was a tension that filled the air as the people awaited the results.

Kota’s younger sister Kirari was too little to really understand what was happening and she was scared with everyone watching her brother. She knew something was bothering him and she ran for him, hugging his waist. He held her tight, shutting his eyes. He already knew what the results would be.

“There is only one person here who has Uzumaki chakra pure enough to lead a new Uzumaki Clan,” Neji said, speaking loudly, like Naruto had, so everyone could hear.

Shimi and the Shiomaki group were already grinning smugly but then Neji motioned to Naruto and announced calmly,

“Of all the people gathered here today, Naruto here has the strongest Uzumaki chakra, not to mention the name to go with it. He is the rightful head of the new Uzumaki Clan.”

Instantly there was a roar of conversation. Shimi and the Shiomaki were furious but knew they had no right to counter. Kota was so relieved he sunk to the ground, holding his sister in his arms. Nori approached them—though he wasn’t completely sure what had just happened—he was just glad his new friend wasn’t so upset anymore.

Naruto was as surprised as anyone else, staring at Neji with wide blue eyes. Neji smiled back and nodded his head knowingly. After a moment and the roar had died down to a low rumble, Naruto stepped forward and spoke to the crowds again.

“As the official head of the Uzumaki Clan, I am announcing here and now that there will no longer be any Uzumaki Clan.” He let the crowd exclaim their shock again until he could speak over them and add, “Uzushiogakure will not be a village governed by the same ancient, unfair rules that have held other villages back for years. My dream for Uzushiogakure was always for it to be a new kind of village, run by people who care about what is best for every person who lives there, not just the wealthiest or highest ranking. I hope that by disbanding Uzumaki Clan, a new set of values can be applied to this village that will protect every person, no matter how insignificant.”

He stared at Kota and Kirari as he delivered the last line and shot a sharp look at the villagers, defying them to abandon the children they had been so long rallying around, but Sasuke thought that he needn’t worry. It seemed pretty clear that the villagers loved Kota and Kirari completely aside from their supposed connection to the Uzumaki Clan. From the way they were already crowding around the two red-headed children it left no doubt in Sasuke’s mind that they would be cared and provided for as long as they lived in the new Uzushiogakure.

After his announcement, Naruto was nearly buried under people, all asking questions or giving advice or arguing with him about something or another. Sasuke knew he would be busy for some time as the dust settled on the events of the day and he wondered what he and Neji could do to potentially help him sort through the mess.

Then he felt a tug on his sleeve and looked to find Nori beside him, hands reaching up to him. Sasuke felt warmth spreading through his chest when he looked down into Nori’s face. His whiskers were really starting to show and they stretched on his cheeks when he smiled wide. Sasuke bent down to pick him up and found himself smiling, too. It always surprised him how easily Nori could make him forget his troubles and wondered if that was why people had children.

Sasuke was so absorbed in listening as Nori began recounting what he thought had just happened that he didn’t notice the gentle look on Naruto’s face as he watched Sasuke with his son nor the cold gaze of Neji as he stood back from the fray and saw everything play out without even a glance his way.

* * *

 

“Well… this is it,” Naruto stopped abruptly and turned, waving an arm towards the buildings before them. Most were half-finished, with workers climbing across roofs or sitting on scaffolding looking over plans.

They were on the main road of what would soon officially be Uzushiogakure, in an area where most of the essential shops and offices would be centered. The bones of a hospital were visible a little ways farther down, and a school was already in the final steps of completion in the other direction. It was all very simple, no flourishes or special architecture, but that probably had to do with money constraints; Sasuke knew a lot of the work Naruto did towards Uzushiogakure had to do with gathering investors and donations to make it happen. It didn’t look much like a home, but that subtle touch would probably come later, once the town was actually lived in.

Sasuke could feel Naruto watching him, and turned back to the blond as he nervously asked,

“What do you think?”

That was the fourth time Naruto had asked him that question since he began the tour of Uzushiogakure, and he had seemed just as nervous upon asking it every time before. It bothered Sasuke for some reason he couldn’t explain.

He began walking down the middle of the unpaved road, towards the largest, almost castle-like building on the hill at the farthest end of the town. Even from a distance Sasuke thought that it was one of the few buildings left standing from the original Uzushiogakure, though it had probably needed repairs.

“You keep asking me that,” he said, aware of Naruto following just behind him, but not looking back to see. “Why do you care what I think, Naruto? My opinion doesn’t matter.”

Naruto sputtered with shock, surprising Sasuke even more.

“What?” he exclaimed, and Sasuke saw him waving his arms from the corner of his eye. “Of course your opinion matters!”

“No it doesn’t,” Sasuke shook his head, smiling faintly. “Uzushiogakure is your project. If you think it’s going to work and the people who are going to live here think it’s going to work, then that’s all that matters.”

“But still,” Naruto argued—he always did argue. “I—I want your opinion. Maybe it’s not important for the village, but it’s important to me to know what you think. And I mean,” he said, and Sasuke saw him frowning, serious, “what you really think, not just what you think I want to hear. Don’t lie just to make me feel better.”

“When have I ever done that?” Sasuke asked him bluntly, and got a laugh in reply. He didn’t say anything until they reached the large castle on the hill and he stopped in front of the entrance to read the sign already hung above the huge double doors.

 _‘Uzushio Orphanage,’_ the sign read.

He turned to face Naruto and the light that shone on the hill seemed more golden than down by the shops. It illuminated Naruto’s face and his eyes. They were fixed solidly on Sasuke, something deep and unfathomable in them as he stared, and Sasuke tried hard to catch his breath quickly.

“You want to know what I think?” He asked. Naruto nodded, still all serious, Hokage-Naruto. Sasuke took a deep breath and looked down on the town and the people working hard to turn it into a real place they could live their lives.

“No other Hokage would have ever dreamed of doing anything like this, Naruto. You’ve managed to keep the peace between the villages so well that you decided to undertake a project this huge just because you knew it could help people.”

It was probably just a trick of the light but for a moment it looked as though there were tears in Naruto’s eyes, but Sasuke still wasn’t sure why Naruto cared so much about his opinion in the first place. But everything he said was completely true—seeing Uzushiogakure with his own two eyes made him realize just how huge a project it was and how much time Naruto must have spent to make it a reality. He never would have been able to do something like that—very few people would have.

“I think Uzushiogakure is going to be incredible,” he said, finally, and Naruto nodded, glancing away quickly. Naruto didn’t say anything else as they walked back down the hill but every few feet their shoulders would bump—Sasuke didn’t know what to think about that.

* * *

 

With the Uzumaki Clan dispute settled the villagers, and even a small fraction of the Shiomaki Clan who stayed behind when most of the clan members left, really got to work to put the finishing touches on the village. Naruto wanted to stay longer, to oversee and help any little way he could. There were times he would vanish and Sasuke and Nori would find him in the middle of hammering some doorway or lifting one side of a huge piece of glass. Once, they came upon him helping finish a roof; he was shirtless and glistening with sweat from the midday heat. Sasuke had ached with desire, remarking once again how the years had changed Naruto’s body—and definitely for the better.

It also made Sasuke curious how Nori would grow up. He suspected for some reason that he would have a body more like Neji’s, lean and lithe. Naruto was a bit stocky but his muscles were more defined, the product of different training and fighting styles. When Nori’s byakugan activated Neji would probably take Nori under his wing to teach him how to use his ability. At least, that’s what Sasuke always assumed.

Eventually, Naruto admitted that it was time to go home. He’d been away from his village for too long and there was no reason to temp an attack, though there was no imminent threat from any known village. Sasuke was anxious to return as well as he was sure there would be plenty of work piled up when he returned and he looked forward to getting lost in it for a while. It would help him sort some things out.

Naruto also knew there would be work piled up when he returned but was none too excited about facing it, and Nori’s delight at being in Uzushiogakure spending time with his father was not lost on Naruto, Neji, or Sasuke. Of any of them, Sasuke thought he wanted to return home the least.

“Don’t you want to see Aunt Sakura, and Aunt Hanabi and, don’t forget, Shishika is probably missing you,” Naruto tried convincing his son that going home was something to be excited about instead of sad, but it wasn’t quite working—until Sasuke said the magic word, of course.

“I’m surprised you don’t want to leave for home right now,” he mused, and Nori glanced at him curiously. Sasuke smiled slyly at Naruto, who was as confused as his son.

“It’s already been a long time for you to go without having any mochi.”

Nori’s eyes went round and wide, much like his favorite treats, and Naruto brightened the room with a wide grin, laughing at his son’s predictable reaction.

“He’s right, Nori! Have you ever gone this long without mochi before?”

“Will we go staight to Mimis’ when we get back, Dad? Will we?” Nori pleaded, counting on a promise. Naruto didn’t let him down,

“Definitely. First stop: Mimis’.”

“And Sasuke can come, too!” Nori declared. Naruto was surprised by that, his eyebrows raising high on his forehead. He almost seemed to flush a little, glancing at Sasuke guiltily, like he felt bad that his son was always dragging Sasuke along to places. Sasuke didn’t let it faze him.

“You only want me to go so you can have mine, too,” he said, and Nori didn’t disagree, glowing under the attention he was getting.

* * *

 

They were planning on leaving the following morning but they wound up staying another day. The villagers had questions and concerns they suddenly needed to voice when they learned the Hokage was leaving and Naruto was not the kind of person to leave without at least trying to solve the problems that the people were putting before him. When they ended up staying even another day after that, as more and more tasks piled up, Sasuke wondered if he would need to knock Naruto out and drag him back to Konoha before the day was over.

He was also starting to wonder if there was another reason Naruto wouldn’t want to go home.

Every time it seemed Naruto had finally come to the decision that they would leave, he would find something else to keep him in Uzushiogakure. He even went as far as worrying that Nori was sick and they needed to stay a few days longer so travelling didn’t wear him out. Nori denied that he was feeling bad but then Naruto distracted his son before the boy could start to wonder why they hadn’t left for home yet. Sasuke didn’t know what to do about it, and he didn’t really hate being out of the village himself. But he was and had always been the responsible one and knew that he needed to get the Hokage safely back to Konoha, if the Hokage didn’t keep finding some new project to keep them in this village forever.

And then, much to his surprise, Neji gave the solution.

“That’s it,” the Hyuuga announced, stepping in front of Naruto before he could run off to go tend to the next situation.

Neji hadn’t been around as much the past few days and even when he was around, he didn’t try and get between Sasuke and Naruto the way he normally did. Sasuke noticed his distance but said nothing, as was his nature.

“Neji?” Naruto asked, surprised at the way the Hyuuga had physically stepped in front of him to keep him from running off. Nori was off playing with Kota and Kirari and Sasuke had been about to broach the topic of leaving before nightfall to Naruto when he’d heard someone call for him and started running off again. That was when Neji stopped him.

“Whatever is it, these people can take care of it themselves,” Neji explained, and though Sasuke had been thinking exactly the same he was glad someone had said it.

“It’s time for you to go home, Naruto,” Neji said firmly. Naruto began to argue but the Hyuuga cut him off.

“You’ve already done enough to make this village a reality and there are people counting on you returning to Konoha. And Nori won’t say it, but I know he’s ready to go back home. Even Uchiha’s been thinking it: you’re stalling.”

“But—“ Naruto tried to argue, “There’s still so much to do here, and—“

“And that’s why I’m going to stay behind and manage the finishing touches of the buildings and the villagers and all the little details you keep using to avoid going back home.”

Sasuke almost let his surprise show on his face; instead he crossed his arms and let Naruto be surprised for him.

“S—stay?” Naruto switched from combative to confused in the blink of an eye. “Neji, you don’t—I mean, you don’t have to do that. You know that, right?”

“I’ve already made my decision, Naruto. I’m not asking you to talk me out of it and I don’t want you to try and convince me to come back.”

Sasuke sensed there was a double meaning behind Neji’s words. By telling Naruto he didn’t want to be persuaded to return to Konoha, he was declaring that if Naruto tried he would take it as a sign; that if Naruto tried to get him to come back with them Neji would interpret it as some kind of hope that Naruto wanted him the way Neji wished he did. Sasuke knew that Neji didn’t even want the temptation and to make that clear he said it straight out.

Sasuke wondered if Naruto picked up on it. He looked ready to argue more, starting to speak and then cutting himself off, face a mixture of emotions. Sasuke was a bit annoyed at the reaction Neji was getting from Naruto but curious to see how this would play out and what the Hyuuga’s angle was. Finally Naruto seemed to find some argument that worked for him but before he started Neji cut him off again, pausing with a sideways glance at Sasuke before lowering his voice to say,

“Naruto, you of all people will understand. I’ve… been thinking about getting out of the village a lot recently. It’s hard to be there when everything reminds me of her. Staying here… just for a while, it will be good for me.”

“What about Nori?” Naruto finally sputtered, incapable of not saying _anything_.

“I’ll miss him,” Neji admitted. “But I think this is for the best.”

Sasuke silently agreed, but not for any reason that didn’t trace back to jealousy.

Nori ran up to them before Naruto could respond, unaware of the sudden tension between his father and uncle.

“What are we doin now, Dad?” he asked, expecting Naruto to tell him they were going to go and talk to more of the villagers or help someone arranging store furnishings.

With a glance at Neji and then to his son, Naruto sighed and said,

“I hope you’re all packed because it looks like we’re going home.”

* * *

 

Now that a decision was really and truly made, and with the confidence of Neji staying behind to help the villagers, the only thing left to do was leave. The Hyuuga was walking them as far as the town they first stayed in, carrying Nori, who had been expectedly unhappy when he heard he wouldn’t be seeing his uncle for a while.

Finally they reached the road that would take them almost straight back to Konoha and the goodbyes began. Nori took the longest, hugging Neji tightly for a whole minute until Neji laughed and handed him to Naruto. Sasuke looked away from the gentle, friendly smile that Naruto shown on Neji. Then Neji leaned in and whispered something to Naruto that left him obviously surprised.

“You can come back when Uzushiogakure is really complete,” Neji promised Nori and his father. “And visit me and Kirari and Kota.”

Naruto nodded in agreement and with that, started off down the road, Nori waving as they went. Sasuke started to follow but found himself held back, one hand gripping his arm tight.

“Don’t ever forget about _her_ ,” he said lowly. Sasuke held his gaze and felt like he was seeing every empty white eye he’d ever known watching him. He never could look at Nori and not see Hinata, and somehow he thought Neji knew that. He released Sasuke’s arm and Sasuke began to walk away, but something held him back and he stopped.

“If things had been… different,” he mused, “we could have been friends.”

Neji didn’t take a moment to reply, “No. We couldn’t.”

Sasuke turned back around so the Hyuuga wouldn’t see him smile.

* * *

 

The trip back was faster than the trip to Uzushiogakure. Sasuke and Naruto always were good travelling partners, though it had been a long time since they’d travelled together and never before with a child. Nori didn’t give them much trouble, though, as he was eager to get back home. His cheerful high voice filled most of the silence on their trip, excitedly raving about visiting everyone he missed while he was gone.

Before they knew it the gates of Konoha were in sight and (since Naruto and Sasuke had taken turns carrying him most of that day) he still had plenty of energy to rush forward ahead of them to make it to the village entrance first. Naruto and Sasuke smiled at his exuberance but Sasuke felt a tinge of regret that he didn’t savor their short trip more. It wasn’t often he got Naruto all to himself—even if his son was with them too. He was absorbed in his own thoughts and didn’t notice at first when Naruto slowed to a stop several feet behind him. When he turned around to see what caused Naruto to stop he found the blond staring at a spot on the ground, then look up and around him and finally at Sasuke. He smiled sadly at the confusion on Sasuke’s face and watched Nori running off in the distance.

“This was the last place I kissed her.”

Of all the things Sasuke expected Naruto to say, that surprised him. He was caught off guard and he didn’t know how to reply so he stood there silently, waiting for Naruto to add more to his statement. Instead Naruto took in a deep, shivering breath that swelled in his chest like it would burst his lungs.

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s a mistake to love someone when it hurts this much,” he sighed, exhaling his heavy gulp of air.

“It isn’t,” Sasuke said. He could at least say that.

Naruto studied him for a long few seconds after that and then this somber, sorrowful Naruto vanished and the Naruto he knew returned with a more reserved variant of his shining smile.

“You’re probably right,” he said, and then Nori called out as loudly as he could for them and they started walking again, pacing themselves so they were side-by-side once again. Sasuke felt a pull of electricity between them, one that he had felt countless times before—but he also felt something else, like a watchful pair of eyes could see the spark between them, too. The hair on the back of his neck stood up and he sensed something that he knew wasn’t there.

 _“Don’t ever forget about her,”_ Neji had said.

Even if he didn’t want to, he knew he wouldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knooooow that was a long chapter but somehow nothing actually happened. Like, i know. Bear with me guys. i'm trying to figure this fic out. It was so solid in the beginning.... Anyway back to work. Got a plan for the next chapter, maybe wrapping this guy up soon, so hopefully the next update won't take too long! ...no promises though.... :(


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